GEORGETOWN, Del. (AP) - A man who was sentenced to death for the slaying of a Delaware police officer will serve life in prison.
The News Journal of Wilmington reports 31-year-old Derrick Powell was resentenced Feb. 9 for the 2009 shooting death of Georgetown police Officer Chad Spicer. This ruling comes after the U.S. Supreme Court found the state’s death penalty unconstitutional as it allowed judges too much discretion, among other issues.
Powell’s sentence stems from a 2009 incident where he and two other people were leaving a McDonald’s when police received a report of shots fired and initiated a pursuit. Both parties crashed to a stop, and Powell fatally shot Spicer. Both passengers testified against Powell, and one was convicted of resisting arrest.
State Sen. Brian Pettyjohn says the new sentencing is “disappointing.”
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Information from: The News Journal of Wilmington, Del., http://www.delawareonline.com
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