Man sentenced in 2023 shooting of rookie NYPD Officer Brett Boller in Queens
JAMAICA, Queens (WABC) -- A man who shot and wounded a rookie NYPD officer in Queens last year was sentenced on Monday morning.
On April 5 of last year, Devin Spraggins, 24, opened fire opened fire on Officer Brett Boller during a chase in Jamaica.
Dozens of officers packed a Queens criminal courtroom on Monday where Spraggins was sentenced to 39 years to life.
Spraggins was convicted by a jury last month.
Boller, who was 22 at the time, and his partner were on routine patrol in 2023 when they confronted Spraggins after he assaulted a passenger on an MTA bus.
Spraggins shot Boller with an illegal firearm. Prosecutors described the details of what happened next.
"This defendant stood over Detective Boller's defenseless body on the ground and tried to execute him by attempting to shoot him a second time," said assistant District Attorney Kanella Georgopoulos.
Officials say it would have been a cold-blooded execution if it wasn't for the magazine dropping from the gun as he ran away from police, and therefore there were no more bullets.
Spraggins hopped in a livery car and took off but was quickly tracked down to a basement apartment in the Bronx and taken into custody.
"All of this started because of a seat on a bus. A police officer has spent over a year with surgeries and physical therapy recovering from getting shot, and only by a twist of fate was not killed," said District Attorney Melinda Katz.
His attorney described the shooting as a situation that spun out of control. He told the judge his client's life has been riddled with trauma, but still believes he has the potential to become a decent human being.
The judge wasn't having it and stressed multiple times during the incident Spraggins could have stopped, but didn't.
"You permanently injured and altered the career path of Police Officer Boller who may have gone on to do great things for this city in that roll," said Judge Kenneth Holder.
RELATED | Rookie officer shot in Queens released from hospital to cheers, applause
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