Violent assault on jail deputies earns man seven-year prison sentence
A Pennsylvania man who violently assaulted five jail deputies in Henrico Jail East in New Kent while awaiting trial will spend the next seven years in prison.
Shevinah Purnell Johnson, 20, learned his fate during Feb. 24 New Kent Circuit Court proceedings after receiving background information from a presentence report. And while that report recommended a range of 2 years, 11 months to 5 years, 8 months, a recount of his actions from November trials gave enough reason for Judge Thomas B. Hoover to exceed the guidelines.
During a Nov. 10 trial, Johnson was convicted of burglarizing the Surf & Turf sporting goods store on Eltham Road in New Kent on Dec. 1, 2013. While waiting to be heard for that trial, the defendant assaulted jail deputies on four separate occasions within a three-month time span. A Nov. 14 trial convicted the defendant on all five assaults.
During sentencing, Johnson testified that abuse from his parents, as well as scolding from siblings, played a part in his violent temperament growing up. Defense attorney Patricia Nagel said her client was admitted to numerous mental health facilities and that his behavior has gotten better.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Linwood Gregory rebutted, recommending a lengthy incarceration saying the defendant can’t control his aggressive nature.
“We received a report from Central State [mental institution] and it reports that Johnson doesn’t have a mental illness, but is an aggressive person,” Gregory said. “Reports indicate he was aggressive to staff members there.
“We have an antisocial individual who can’t handle being in society,” the commonwealth’s attorney added before voicing his seven-year recommendation.
“I believe my client should serve the minimum sentence of two and a half years,” contested Nagel. “Ever since the incident, he’s had one minor slip-up but he has enrolled voluntarily in programs to help himself. He is also on medication and it has helped him as well.”
Johnson asked the court for leniency, saying he has learned from errors in his past behavior and wanted to move forward with his life.
“Knowing what I know now, I made a bad decision,” the defendant commented. “I’m highly aware of myself now. I apologize.”
Despite the apology, Hoover wanted the defendant to know how bad a decision Johnson had made and the effects it had on others.
“When the defendant was first arrested on the burglary charges, he was able to apologize and say he was sorry to the owner for what he did,” the judge said. “Then he’s in the jail on pretrial supervision where he attacks the guards on not one, but four separate occasions.
“These attacks came on different dates and were separated by weeks,” Hoover continued. “There were no reasons for the attacks. The worst attack of them all came on a deputy who tried to help Johnson who provided Mr. Johnson with a blue [request] note. Mr. Johnson began a total, unprovoked attack of that deputy that has left the deputy unable to work at the time of the trial and who is on light duty as of this day.
“Those are aggravated facts for exceeding the sentencing guidelines in this case,” the judge concluded.
On four of the assault and battery charges on a law enforcement officer, Johnson received five years in prison on each charge, with all but six months suspended on each charge (a total of two years to serve). Each of the six months of active incarceration are minimum sentences under state law. Johnson will serve all five years on the fifth assault and battery charge on a law enforcement officer, stemming from the attack that left the deputy unable to work.
Johnson also received formal sentencing for burglary at the Surf & Turf store. He received a five-year suspended sentence on one charge of burglary and a 12-month suspended sentence for misdemeanor petty larceny.