Cop shooter gets 33-100 years behind bars
MEDIA COURTHOUSE » A Folcroft man who entered a guilty plea in May to the attempted murder of borough Police Officer Christopher Dorman last year was sentenced Thursday to 33 to 100 years in state prison.
Donte Brooks Island, 35, of the 1500 block of Elmwood Avenue, had entered open guilty pleas to two counts each of assault against a law enforcement officer and attempted murder, as well as one count each of possessing a firearm by a person prohibited and possessing a firearm with obliterated serial numbers.
Each count of assault against a police officer carried a mandatory minimum of 20 to 40 years, but Delaware County Court of Common Pleas Judge Gregory Mallon ran those sentences concurrently. He also went below the mitigated range for attempted murder, giving a consecutive sentence of three to 40 years. Each of the weapons violations carried an additional five to 10 years, consecutive to the other sentences.
Dorman was shot seven times during a confrontation with Island behind two apartment buildings on the 1500 block of Elmwood Avenue around 10 a.m. June 24, 2016.
He said at a preliminary hearing in December that he was investigating a call about someone smoking marijuana when the shooting took place. Dorman, wearing his uniform and driving a marked police cruiser, told Island he would pat him down and if he did not have anything on him, they would go their separate ways.
Dorman said he told the suspect to put his hands on the hood of a nearby car. As Dorman went to radio in that he was conducting a frisk, he said Island hit him in the side and back of the head, causing him to fall against a wall.
“At that time I heard a gunshot and saw a muzzle flash and knew immediately that I had been shot,” he said.
Dorman radioed in that he had been shot in the face and fought to push Island away from him, then ran between the two buildings as he heard more shots ring out. Dorman said he was struck again in the back and fell. As he regained his feet, Dorman said he drew his weapon and turned around, but Island was nowhere to be seen.
Dorman, who was wearing a bullet-proof vest, said he continued running toward Elmwood Avenue, where he was he was picked up by Sgt. William Bair and rushed to a nearby hospital.
Fellow Folcroft Officer David DePietro also testified at the preliminary hearing that he arrived at the scene in time to see Island firing several shots at Dorman. DePietro drew his own weapon and fired between one and three shots at Island, who turned his attention to DePietro and fired three or four times.
DePietro said he briefly lost sight of Island as he took cover behind his vehicle. Two rear windows of his police truck were shot out, DePietro said. He said he last saw Island running from the scene.
Island was later arrested in an apartment rented under his wife’s name. A .40 caliber Springfield Armory pistol with obliterated serial numbers purchased by Island’s wife on Apr. 9, 2016, was later found near the scene and matched to shell casings found in a parking lot, as well as a sample bullet taken from the apartment.
Island is a convicted felon and was incapable of legally possessing a handgun. He had only recently been released from a 15year sentence in a federal penitentiary at the time of the shooting.
Dorman’s mother, Jean, relayed to the judge the mix of emotions she felt the day after the shooting at the hospital – sadness at seeing he carnage inflicted on her son, but gratitude that she could tell him good morning.
She said hate and fear of police had never entered the small community where her son grew up and wanted to serve as a protector. Island tried to take that away, she said, but he was unable to.
“He didn’t have the power to decide that that was the day my son would die,” she said. “God had that power and he said, ‘Not today.’”
Neither Dorman nor DiPietro directly addressed the judge, but Senior Deputy District Attorney Daniel McDevitt read a statement from Dorman indicating Island should receive the maximum possible sentence.
“Not only did he put my life in danger, he put the lives of everyone involved at risk,” the statement said. “The defendant had no regard for my life, the public’s lives or the lives of my fellow officers.”
Dorman suffering injuries to his face, legs and groin. Three of the bullets struck Dorman’s bulletproof vest. He spent three days at Penn Presbyterian Hospital and continues to suffer complications from his injuries, but has returned to full duty.
Dorman said he would continue to serve the community to the best of his abilities and has put the matter behind him as best he could. He said he has “no feelings one way or the other” about Island.
Mallon also heard from county District Attorney Jack Whelan, who said Island’s actions amounted to a “cold, callous, deliberate attempt to kill two police officers,” which a civilized society cannot tolerate.
“He didn’t have the power to decide that that was the day my son would die. God had that power and he said, ‘Not today.’”
— Jean Dorman, mother of Police Officer Christopher Dorman
“The only reason a convict has a gun is to rob or to kill,” said Whelan. “That was his premise on this particular day, it was to kill, and this time it was two police officers just trying to do their job.”
McDevitt said if he could, he would be seeking life in prison. He instead asked the judge for a sentence of 65 to 130 years.
McDevitt recounted Island’s criminal record, which extends back to his days as a juvenile and includes weapons, drug and assault charges. He added that Island has “failed miserably” at any attempt at supervision and was wanted on a federal warrant for a probation violation at the time of the shooting.
But McDevitt said the judge need look no further than the fact that Island shot at Dorman’s back to get a sense of his character.
“Dante Island is the type of person who is willing to trade his freedom for the life of a police officer and that’s a trade society can never tolerate,” McDevitt said. “He is a violent, dangerous person that society needs to be protected from.”
Defense attorney Donald Havens argued his client is remorseful and indicated in a presentence investigation that he was under the effects of alcohol, PCP and marijuana at the time of the shooting.
Island also apologized to the victims and their families, saying he has no ill will toward police officers.
“This is a situation where drugs have messed up my life and it has almost cost y’all your life,” he said. “The actions that I partook in that day I really didn’t mean. I created a lot of bad feelings with a lot of people and I really didn’t know what I was doing that day.”
He added that he has prayed and sought forgiveness from God, but asked his victims to forgive him as well, especially Dorman.
Island was given credit for time served, but is not eligible for early release. He was also ordered to provide a DNA sample to state police and pay $1,485 restitution to the Folcroft Police Department.