James Herard, a rumored Crips leader who describes himself as soulless, barks at judges, and reportedly speaks openly about going "human hunting," was sentenced today to nine life sentences and 125 additional years in jail for a brutal 2008 Dunkin' Donuts robbery that took place in Delray Beach.
On July 29, Herard was convicted of robbing the beach town's coffee shop, shooting five people.
Cops say that Herard and three accomplices strutted into the Dunkin'
Donuts on November 26, 2008; slammed customers and employees on the floor; took their wallets; and pocketed cash from the register.
Then, Herard opened fire, injuring two severely and
grazing two more victims inside the Dunkin' Donuts. When Herard and the
other perps fled the shop, a passerby was shot in the face, according to
State Attorney Michael McAuliffe.
According to the Palm Beach Post, Herard maintained a bit of an odd sense of humor at Friday's sentencing.
Gerald Lakin, 75, urged Circuit Judge Karen Miller to throw the book at
Herard. Lakin had a towel around his neck -- because the 2008 gunshot wound
causes him to constantly drool. During Lakin's statement, Herard just laughed, the Post reports.
At
the sentencing hearing, a Lauderhill cop told Miller that Herard might
get the death penalty for a crime the 22-year-old committed as a teen.
During that incident, Herard is
said to have "chased six or seven local gang members through a strip
mall" and "urged another man to fatally shoot a Broward County man on a
night they were out together 'hunting' human beings," the Post's Daphne
Duret reports.
Gerard's cold-blooded demeanor, however, is nothing new to law enforcement officials or his victims. In 2008, shortly after his arrest, Gerard told cops that he "just wanted to up the body count." He also boasted that he could shoot the investigating detectives and that it "wouldn't mean anything," the Post reports.
Follow The Pulp on Facebook and on Twitter: @ThePulpBPB.
