A 21-year-old man was sentenced Tuesday to 30 years in prison for the , officials said.
Jahvell Daquan Forrest shot at Officer Ryan Burns and Officer Dale Leonard during a traffic stop of a stolen vehicle in the 1700 block of Fulton Street in Aurora in November of 2014, according to a 17th Judicial District Attorney news release.
In February, Forrest was on six counts of attempted reckless manslaughter, two counts of second-degree assault, aggravated motor vehicle theft and felony menacing, the release said.
Authorities say Forrest shot Burns in the leg after being pulled over when he was suspected of driving a stolen “puffer” car. Burns was on the lam for several days before investigators tracked him down.
Burns was hit in his femoral artery, a potentially life-threatening wound. Burns’ partner quickly administered a tourniquet, which police credited with saving Burns’ life.
“He tried to kill both of these officers that night,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney Rhoda Pilmer during the sentencing hearing in Adams County District Court. “Someone who treats our law enforcement officers this way truly has no respect for this community and needs to be held accountable. It was Officer Leonard who saved his partner’s life that night. But for that tourniquet on that cold icy street that night, Officer Burns would not have made it.”
In February, the expressed shock and dismay that Forrest was found guilty of lesser charges.
Forrest was initially charged with six counts of attempted first-degree murder and two counts first-degree assault.
Elizabeth Hernandez: 303-954-1223, ehernandez@denverpost.com or @ehernandez
