A Liberty man shot while trying to flee a Missouri Highway Patrol trooper who was hanging onto his car was sentenced Wednesday to 30 years in prison.
Alan G. Hampton, 42, was accused of resisting arrest, possessing a controlled substance and being a felon in possession of a firearm in connection with the incident early July 8, 2012.
During the sentencing, Clay County Circuit Judge K. Elizabeth Davis told Hampton it was "a wonder that you and the officer are still alive."
Hampton apologized. Authorities said he was high on drugs at the time.
A recording from the patrol car dash camera played during the sentencing helped show how the event unfolded.
Cpl. Cody Dunfee pulled over Hampton for driving 86 mph in a 65 mph zone on eastbound Missouri 152 near Interstate 435.
While walking to the car, Dunfee noticed Hampton trying to hide something. Dunfee then noticed a black object in Hampton's waistband and ordered Hampton to show his hands, according to court records. Hampton refused and reached for the object.
Dunfee drew his pistol and ordered Hampton to show his hands. Hampton began to drive away. Dunfee held onto the driver's window to prevent being run over as the car took off. Dunfee ordered Hampton to stop, but the Chevrolet Malibu continued to accelerate along the highway's shoulder.
Fearing for his life, Dunfee fired two shots at Hampton, striking him in the left arm and left leg.
"You (expletive) shot me! You (expletive) shot me!" Hampton is heard saying on the dash camera video. "Oh my God!"
Dunfee responded: "Don't move. Don't (expletive) move."
"You shot me," Hampton said. "I'm going to bleed to death. Help! Ah! I'm blacking out, man."
Dunfee radioed for help.
Hampton eventually stopped the vehicle and turned off the engine.
"Can I get out? I'm bleeding to death," Hampton said.
Dunfee asked Hampton what was in his lap.
"A baggie ..." Hampton responded. "Why did you have to shoot me? You dumb (expletive)."
"Because you took off," Dunfee replied.
Authorities later found methamphetamine, a loaded hypodermic needle and a handgun covered with blood.
After the hearing Wednesday, Dunfee recalled that everything "happened so quickly."
"To this day, I don't know why I more or less dove into that car," said Dunfee, a nine-year patrol veteran who also experienced a close call in July 2009, when he was shot in the chest while wearing a protective vest as troopers helped Bates County authorities arrest a murder suspect.
That incident happened several months after his first child was born. The episode involving Hampton occurred several weeks after his second child was born.
"To be able to go through some of this stuff and go home at night and to see my children, I thank the Lord for it every day," Dunfee said. "I am always thinking about my kids when I am out there working."
Davis sentenced Hampton to six years for resisting arrest, 12 year for possessing a controlled substance, 12 years for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and six years for failing to appear on an earlier felony charge. Davis ordered the resisting, possession and firearms sentences to run consecutively and the failure to appear to run concurrently.
Hampton had prior burglary and drug convictions in Clay and Jackson counties.
Because Hampton was a prior and persistent offender, Clay County Prosecutor Daniel White had asked Davis to sentence him to 35 years in prison.
"Hampton may argue that getting shot was punishment enough," White said during the sentencing. "Getting shot isn't punishment. Getting shot is a consequence of this stupid, dangerous and illegal behavior."
Copyright 2013 - The Kansas City Star
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
