Man sentenced for shooting at police
TULSA — A Bristow man who was shot by police after opening fire at officers and civilians last year has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison.
U.S. District Judge Claire Eagan on Wednesday sentenced Shawn Dale Sexton, 26, to serve 289 months for possessing firearms and ammunition as a felon.
Sexton, who has been in custody since his arrest, entered a guilty plea in March, according to court records.
Bristow police responded to reports of shots fired on July 23, 2017, and learned that the suspect, Sexton, had just been involved in a drive-by shooting in Slick, about 13 miles southeast of Bristow.
He then reportedly continued to fire his weapon while driving through Bristow, at one point injuring a driver who was struck by flying debris.
Sexton shot at Bristow police cruisers during a two-mile pursuit and crashed into a bridge after being shot by an officer in the chest. Authorities say he was wearing a bulletproof vest during the incident and suffered only minor injuries. He was booked into the Creek County jail after being released from the hospital the next day.
At the time of his arrest, Sexton already had numerous felony convictions, including assault with a dangerous weapon, aggravated assault and battery and conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance.
His prosecution was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a national effort to reduce gun and gang crime through police work, prosecution and community, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.
“Sexton terrorized an entire community,” Shores said. “His actions threatened the lives of citizens and law enforcement alike. In the Northern District of Oklahoma, we will continue our relentless pursuit of dangerous felons who possess firearms, especially those who show no regard for human life. We must hold them accountable.”