Tuesday March 19th, 2024 2:44AM

Guilty: S.C. man sentenced to 100 years after pleading guilty to shooting Lavonia police officers

By Mark Berryman, WLHR Radio

CARNESVILLE — The trial for a South Carolina man accused of shooting two Lavonia police officers took an abrupt turn Thursday as he returned from an afternoon break and entered a guilty plea.

Upon entering the plea, Khari DeShaun Gordon of Greenville, S.C., was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Malcom to 100 years in prison, with the first 50 being served in confinement before being eligible for parole.

The plea came after a barrage of witnesses called by District Attorney Parks White painted a very grim picture of the incident, including videos from the patrol car and one of the officer’s body cams as well as eyewitness accounts of events that night.

Gordon had been accused of shooting Capt. Michael Schulman and Officer Jeffrey Martin on Dec. 12, 2016, during a traffic stop in the Zaxby’s parking lot in Lavonia. A check with GCIC revealed the vehicle Gordon was driving was stolen.

Gordon shot the two officers and then fled the scene barefoot carrying a handgun, according to witnesses.

Gordon was tracked down in the woods about two miles from the scene of the shooting several hours later.

In January 2017, Gordon was indicted on four counts of aggravated assault on a police officer, four counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, two counts of aggravated battery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and theft by bringing stolen merchandise into the state.

Gordon has a lengthy criminal history, including having been released from jail in Greenville County, S.C., in June 2016 after posting a $25,000 bond on attempted murder charges. Gordon had previously been convicted of escaping from a youth detention center in 2012, which is a felony. Gordon also had been convicted of breaking into autos/fuel tanks, grand larceny, third-degree burglary and possession of marijuana over the past six years.

Jury selection began Monday and opening arguments were heard on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the two officers and other witnesses testified.

Thirteen jurors were seated, with one acting as an alternate. Those seated include seven women and six men.

Mark Berryman is news director for WLHR Radio in Lavonia.

 

  • Associated Categories: Homepage, Local/State News, Georgia News
  • Associated Tags: franklin county, guilty plea, officer shooting, Lavonia, carnesville, District Attorney Parks White, Lavonia Police Department, sentencing
© Copyright 2024 AccessWDUN.com
All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.