Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By JOYANNA LOVE/ Managing Editor

Jeremy Lane Wilson has been sentenced to eight years in prison after entering a guilty plea for attempted assault in the first degree from a shots fired incident in 2017.

On Aug. 6, 2017 on County Road 254, Wilson shot at a police officer, Erick Smitherman, who had responded to the scene with the Chilton County Sheriff’s Office.

C.J. Robinson, chief deputy district attorney for the 19th Judicial Circuit, said Wilson had shot with his firearm in the direction of the officer after shouting that he was going to kill someone.

Wilson was initially charged with attempted murder.

However, during the court proceedings, Wilson said he was distressed because his mother had recently died, and he was trying to get the officers present to return fire and kill him, according to court documents. Wilson had also stated he was not trying to kill the officer he shot at.

After Wilson fired, Smitherman had fired his gun in Wilson’s direction, hitting Wilson’s foot.

A Grand Jury ruled that Smitherman responded with an appropriate amount of force in the situation, according to Robinson.

Robinson said several meetings were held to work out the plea agreement, which was eight years for pleading guilty to attempted assault in the first degree.

Sentencing was held on Nov. 5, 2021.