By Amy Macavinta
Idaho State Journal
PRESTON, Idaho — Jacob Ray Johnson of Preston will spend a minimum of five years in prison after firing at the police officers who responded to his home to diffuse a domestic situation in April.
Preston Police Chief Val Sparrow was in the courtroom Monday when the judge sentenced Johnson on two counts of first-degree attempted murder. Johnson, 35, will serve a fixed term of five years for each count, to be served concurrently , with the possibility of an additional 10 years per count.
“I wouldn’t say that’s enough,” said Sparrow. “I just hope he can realize what a serious tragedy this could have been.”
Sparrow said Johnson, who reportedly has a long history of substance abuse, and his wife were drinking with neighbors April 23 when a physical altercation started. The neighbors left the home, telling Johnson they planned to call the police. Johnson loaded three guns and waited, police say.
“He prepared himself to do battle with the officers,” he said.
Johnson fired five rounds at officers that day, before he surrendered to police. No one was injured in the shooting.
Johnson has been incarcerated in the Caribou County Jail since April and bail was set at a $1 million. He will be given credit for time served.
Sparrow said Monday was the first time Johnson expressed any remorse for his actions and he apologized to the officers for the shooting.
“I felt the judge did a good job explaining how devastating it could have been to two officers and their families,” he said.
Because Johnson’s wife and baby were in the home at the time of the shooting, he was also charged with two counts of injury to a child. According to the Franklin County Attorney’s Office, those charges were dismissed in exchange for Johnson’s guilty plea on the first-degree attempted murder charges.
Copyright 2011 Idaho State Journal