Daniel Harmon Wright sentenced to 36 months in prison, with reduced sentencing guidelines he'll do about 11 months.
CULPEPER, Va. (WUSA9) -- The former Culpeper police officer convicted of manslaughter in the shooting death of a housewife, was finally sentenced today.
Judge Susan Whitlock imposed the sentenced recommended by the jury, which adds up to 3 years behind bars.
It was crime that rocked the small historic town of Culpeper, a police officer shoots and killed an unarmed housewife. Today, the case ended with Daniel Harmon wright asking the family of Patricia cook for forgiveness and the judge for leniency.
One last time, Daniel Harmon Wright was escorted in handcuffs to the Culpeper Courthouse. His first sentencing was postponed because of last minutes motions filed by his lawyer. Daniel Hawes argued today that killing of Patricia Cook, who was shot six times as she fled in her jeep wrangle was lawful because his client was just doing his job.
"He was doing his duty as a police officer, to protect the public. Here was someone who had just tried to kill him," said Hawes.
Special prosecutor Jim Fisher told the judge that Harmon Wright betrayed the fraternity of police officers by acting in a callous, reckless and indifferent way and he said, he treated the victim like a video game and took her like.
The judge denied all defense motions, and imposed the jury's sentence of 36 months, 12 months for each count (manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter and shooting into an occupied vehicle resulting in death), plus three years probation and ten years of good behavior.
Now that the criminal case is over, the civil case begins. The family of Patricia Cook has filed a $5.3 million dollar wrongful death lawsuit against Wright, the Culpeper Police Department, Former Police Chief Dan Boring, who hired Harmon-Wright in 2006, and Current Police Chief Chief Scott Jenkins.