Tallahassee Man Charged with Shooting Police Officer, Burglary

A 25-year-old Tallahassee resident is facing charges of attempted murder and burglary after shooting a police officer during a residential burglary. He is also charged in a separate incident in which he also burglarized a Tallahassee residence in a different home invasion and shooting that occurred only an hour earlier. The defendant was charged one day after opening fire on a Tallahassee police officer who was responding to a home burglary. The burglary was believed to be drug-related. Previously, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office responded to a burglary that occurred only an hour earlier. At first, police believed that the two burglaries were unrelated. They now believe that the two burglaries were committed by the same defendant. The incident occurred at about 1 a.m. and left one man injured.

The defendant has been charged with two counts of attempted murder, one count of burglary to a residence with battery, and one count of possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. Below, we’ll take a look at the charges.

Attempted murder 

Attempted first-degree murder describes a situation in which a defendant attempts to kill another person but for whatever reason, fails to execute the task competently. Under Florida law, there is no leeway given for failing to successfully complete the murder. Attempted murder charges carry the same penalties as murder charges. There are three elements to the crime:

• The defendant acted with intent to kill that went beyond merely thinking about it
• The defendant acted in a thought-out way to kill the victim
• The actions of the defendant could have killed the victim, but the victim survived the attempt

Generally speaking, a conviction of attempted first-degree murder is considered the same as a successfully completed murder. In most cases, the defendant will be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. However, a defendant could face the death penalty for the charge of attempted first-degree murder.

Burglary to a residential property

 A burglary occurs when an individual enters or remains in a dwelling illegally with the intent to commit some form of crime. The penalties for committing the crime of burglary differ depending on the circumstances. In the case of the defendant mentioned above, he will be charged with a first-degree felony. This is because the defendant shot and injured an individual within the home when committing the burglary. A first-degree felony can also be charged when the individual is armed in the commission of the burglary. A first-degree felony carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in Florida state prison.

Talk to a Tallahassee, FL Violent Crimes Attorney Today 

The Tallahassee criminal defense lawyers at Luke Newman, P.A. represent the interests of those charged with violent crimes such as attempted murder and burglary to a residential property. We can help you prepare a vigorous defense to any charges that you face. Call our office today to schedule an appointment, and we will begin preparing your defense right away.

Source:

tallahassee.com/story/news/2023/09/29/man-who-shot-tallahassee-officer-faces-new-charge-in-earlier-incident/71008899007/