Harris Given 5 Years In Prison For Shooting At Police Officers

  • Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Joel Harris
Joel Harris

A man who shot at police officers on June 16, 2018, was sentenced on Wednesday to serve five years in state prison.

Joel Harris, who appeared before Criminal Court Judge Don Poole, will be eligible for parole consideration after serving 30 percent of the term.

Harris was convicted on Sept. 5 of several charges, including attempted voluntary manslaughter.

During the trial, Assistant District Attorney Lee Ortwein said that two officers with the Chattanooga Police Department responded to a possible disorder at an apartment complex on Tunnel Boulevard. The first officer on the scene attempted to make contact with Harris, but the defendant walked away and later began to run.

In courtroom testimony, both officers said Harris pulled a gun out of a bag he was carrying and fired at both of them. The officers returned fire and Harris was hit in the leg. He was then arrested and taken to a local hospital for treatment.

The officers were not injured.

After reviewing pre-sentence reports and arguments from both prosecutor Ortwein and attorneys for Harris, Judge Poole set the sentence.

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