PORTLAND — A 40-year-old man found guilty of assault in the shooting of a Clackamas County deputy last year was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison Tuesday.
Clackamas County Circuit Judge Jeffrey Jones said the sentence was warranted because Steven Wilson grabbed Deputy Robert Cordova’s pistol in November, shot the deputy and endangered the lives of at least three people who stopped to help.
Wilson made no statements during the sentencing. Cordova sat two rows behind and remained in the courtroom as deputies led his attacker away in handcuffs.
Bonnie Lindsay, Wilson’s mother, said after the hearing that she worried how her son would fare in prison and believes his mental health will worsen. She looked down toward the ground while sitting in the hallway outside the courtroom as her son was led past her.
A jury found Wilson guilty Monday of second-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon. He was acquitted of the most serious charge, attempted aggravated murder.
The deputy had responded early Nov. 15 to a report that a man had been hit by a car and found Wilson along Southeast Sunnyside Road with two women trying to help him.
Wilson lunged at Cordova, grabbed his gun and fired three shots. Cordova was wounded in both legs and Wilson was shot in the hip.
The deputy’s civilian ride-along passenger and another passer-by also jumped in to help.
Cordova, 24, returned to patrol duty in March, but said in court that he still has sleepless nights and feels pain in his legs.
Wilson said he grabbed Cordova’s gun in an attempt to take his own life. He intentionally walked into traffic before the shooting. He has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental illnesses, according to trial testimony.
