A 37-year-old man, Leland Earl Williams, has been handed down a 95-year prison term after pleading guilty to an aggravated assault against a Tarrant County sheriff's deputy. The sentence was announced in a recent post by the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office, according to their social media, following a jury verdict in Fort Worth.
The incident dates back to November 27, 2023, when Williams, sitting in the lobby of the Fort Worth Community Credit Union, swiftly got up and approached Deputy Brent Brown, who was working off-duty as a security guard, and opened fire. Despite being shot at point-blank range, Deputy Brown managed to return fire, a move that Assistant District Attorney Dale Smith credited with saving "the lives of countless people," as reported by the Tarrant County DA’s social media post. Williams fled but was later arrested after a standoff at a relative’s home.
During the trial, Smith and fellow prosecutor Victoria Lydahl underscored the gravity of Williams's actions. Smith urged the jury to consider the perpetrator's choices when deciding the length of his incarceration, emphasizing the community's expectation for safety and respect for law enforcement.
Deputy Brown, who had to go through months of rehabilitation following emergency surgery, has since recovered and rejoined duty. In the wake of the jury's decision, Brown expressed his gratitude, "Thank you for listening to my story and for considering the evidence with an open mind," which was conveyed in the Tarrant County DA’s post. District Attorney Phil Sorrells highlighted the successful collaboration between police and prosecutors and reiterated the consequences of assaults on officers: "This sentence sends a clear message: attacks on our peace officers will not be tolerated," Sorrells told the Tarrant County DA’s Office.
