Man who hit and killed 2 Nevada state troopers sentenced

Justin Walker, Linsey Lewis and Ryan Matthey

3 hours ago

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The man who crashed into two Nevada State Troopers investigating a car stopped on the side of a Las Vegas freeway exit ramp was sentenced Tuesday.

The courtroom was packed Tuesday as Jemarcus Williams, 46, prepared to be sentenced. This led to the opening of a nearby courtroom to serve as an overflow room for those who wished to be present during the sentencing.

Williams was sentenced to 16 to 40 years in prison, with 195 days already served. He will be eligible for parole 16 years from the date of the accident in November 2023.

For both counts, Williams was sentenced to 8 to 20 years. The family of Trooper Alberto Felix is ​​expected to receive $7,674 in funeral compensation and the family of Sergeant Michael Abbate has no plans to seek compensation.

Once Williams is released from prison, an interlock device will be installed in all vehicles he drives. He pledged in court Tuesday to become an advocate against drunk driving, without specifying how he would do so, to the family, friends and colleagues of fallen state troopers.

“This was an irresponsible and senseless act for which I am truly sorry, and my heart and prayers go out to both of your families,” Williams said Tuesday afternoon, turning toward the handcuffed families. His own family sat right behind him.

The district court judge's sentence came after two and a half hours of sentencing, most of which was taken up by family members of the fallen state troopers.

“I had to see him in a state that I wouldn't want anyone to know about,” Alyssa Belle Yabut, Félix's eldest, said of seeing her father's body. “Even the tallest tower cannot reach him and no amount of money can bring him back.”

“Having our 3-year-old son, Vince, almost daily scream at me that he wants his daddy to come home from heaven to play with him for real, and having to remind him that 'Daddy can't “He can only visit you in your dreams,” it's heartbreaking for both of us,” said Vanessa Abbate, Michael Abbate's wife. “As a widow, I now experience panic attacks. shower screams, crippling anxiety, crying on the floor, the list goes on.”

Williams pleaded guilty in April to two counts of Class B felony DUI resulting in death. As a result, he was ordered to pay damages to the victims. At the time, Nevada District Court Judge Susan Johnson said that if Williams' driving privileges were ever reinstated, he would be required to have a breathalyzer installed for at least one year and up to three years at most.

Sergeant Michael Abbate and Trooper Alberto Felix were struck and killed early in the morning of November 30 by Williams' vehicle on northbound I-15 at the D Street exit while responding to a car with a driver who could have slept. The crash happened a minute later while the two men were outside their car on the left side of the parked vehicle, Metro police said in documents received by 8 News investigators Now.

In court on Tuesday it was revealed Williams started drinking after leaving work at 5pm on November 29. He started at the Westgate sportsbook before buying more alcohol at a gas station and ending at the Palms Casino where he allegedly shared more drinks with a friend.

After the crash, Williams' blood test showed a blood alcohol level of 0.19. A second blood test returned a result of 0.17, documents show. The legal limit in Nevada is 0.08.

Around 1 a.m. the morning of the crash, Willams and another man were recorded on surveillance video entering the Palms Casino Resort, police said in documents obtained by 8 News Now investigators. The men then ordered the bottle of Hennessy and the three vodka drinks from the property's Ghost Bar, police said.

At 1:46 a.m., Williams ordered another drink, police said.

At 3:01 a.m., Williams returned to the casino floor, but then took the elevator back to the Ghost Bar, police said. There, hotel security guards approached him. Two minutes later, “security [generated] a report that they were escorting a drunk man,” documents state.

At 3:15 a.m., Williams left the casino with security guards, police said. Williams then hid behind a tree and, six minutes later, got into the car, prosecutors said.