Florida man sentenced to 110 years for shooting Georgia deputy after chase involving stolen car
A Florida man has been sentenced to decades in prison for the shooting of a deputy after a high-speed chase through metro Atlanta in 2022.
On Tuesday, a Gwinnett County jury found 38-year-old James Edward Perkins guilty on all charges, which included five counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer, theft by receiving a stolen vehicle, theft by receiving a stolen firearm, terroristic threats, and more.
Prosecutors say the charges stem from an incident on June 10, 2022. On that day, law enforcement received information that a stolen vehicle was parked at a Duluth shopping center.
When Gwinnett County police got to the scene, they parked their cars to block the vehicle from leaving and used a Taser on Perkins when he would not follow their commands. Instead of stopping, authorities say Perkins got into the stolen vehicle, hit the squad cars and other cars parked at the shopping center, and fled, leading to a high-speed chase.
The chase ended when Perkins crashed the car into a fence near a Lawrenceville apartment complex. As law enforcement officers surrounded him, authorities say he claimed to have a bomb. He then attempted to drive off again, opening fire on the officers and hitting Sgt. Butler, a K-9 handler with the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office, prosecutors said.
Butler testified during the trial that the bullet hit him in the shoulder and missed his spine by centimeters.
"We are grateful that Sgt. Butler survived this incident and is back in good health," Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said. "Every day, the men and women of our law enforcement agencies put their lives on the line to keep Gwinnett County safe. This verdict sends a message that when you decide to come against the folks that are charged with safety in our community, we will take it very seriously, and we will prevail."
Following the jury's verdict, Perkins was sentenced to 110 years, 60 of which were to be served in prison.
