Man sentenced to 20 years in prison for shooting soldier in Phoenix

PHOENIX – A man was sentenced to 20 years in prison after wounding a state trooper in a shooting last year, authorities said Wednesday.

Howard Lamar Johnson, 35, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault after shooting the trooper chasing him after Johnson fled the scene of an accident in north Phoenix in May 2023, according to the District Attorney's Office. Maricopa County.

The officer, who was shot several times near the Loop 101 Agua Fria Freeway and 19th Avenue, was taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, according to the Department of Public Safety. Arizona.

Johnson was arrested after a barricade situation at an apartment complex near 67th and Olive avenues in Glendale and was shortly hospitalized with injuries following the initial incident with the trooper.

Johnson was a prohibited holder at the time of the shooting.

“He is a dangerous criminal who should not have had a weapon on him, and yet he did,” County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a news release. “Through this policy, we assure the public that people who illegally possess a weapon and pose a threat to our community will face serious consequences. »

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