Man Receives Two Life Sentences Plus 835 Years for Killing Police Officer
A man will spend the remainder of his natural life in prison after he was tried and convicted of murdering a police officer in a 2018 shooting.
On Wednesday, a jury in Crittenden County, Arkansas, found 27-year-old Demarcus Donnell Parker guilty of first-degree murder in the April 28, 2018, shooting death of off-duty police officer Oliver Johnson, prosecutors said in a news release.
Johnson was a 25-year-old officer working for the Forrest City Police Department when he was killed by Parker.
Johnson lived in the city of West Memphis at the time, which is where the slaying occurred.
According to WREG-TV, Parker was firing at members of a rival gang when a stray bullet struck Johnson while he was in his apartment with his daughter.
Up to 40 shots were reportedly fired during the gang shooting.
During the sentencing phase of his trial, a jury of five women and seven men sent a message with its sentencing recommendation, which Judge Randy Philhours agreed was appropriate, according to the news release from Second Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Scott Ellington’s office.
Parker was convicted on one count of murder in the first degree, one count of first-degree unlawful discharge of a firearm from a vehicle and six counts of attempted murder in the first degree.
He was also convicted on 15 counts of unlawful discharge of a firearm from a vehicle in the second degree.
The cop killer will spend life in prison for the death of Johnson.
He received an additional life sentence for the first-degree unlawful discharge from a vehicle conviction.
He was further sentenced to 30 years each for all six of the first-degree attempted murder convictions, and 20 years for each second-degree unlawful discharge of a firearm from a vehicle conviction.
Parker was additionally sentenced to a 15-year “enhancement of Committing a Felony with a Firearm on each of the previous twenty-three counts,” the news release said.
He also received a 10-year enhancement for committing the crimes in the presence of a child.
All told, Parker was sentenced to two life sentences, plus an additional 835 years in prison.
Each term is to run consecutively.
Ellington commented on the stiff prison sentence.
“West Memphis Detectives spent many hours putting the case file together,” he said in a statement after sentencing.
“The jury listened to both sides, and ultimately returned maximum sentences on all counts and recommended they be run consecutively.
“Sadly, none of this will bring Officer Johnson back to his family, but maybe they will find some comfort that justice was served this week,” Ellington added.
Johnson was survived by two daughters, according to GoFundMe set up for his family.
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