Tarvis Wilson is going to prison for a while after a jury convicted him yesterday of shooting a Boynton Beach cop in the chest, as well as the crimes he committed before that, including trying to shoot other people and leading a police chase through Broward and Palm Beach counties.
On August 17, 2008, a woman was standing outside her front door with her grandchildren while her son and nephew were out front grabbing something from their car.
Wilson drove by the house, pointing a gun out the window, according to a police report. As all five of the people ran inside the house, they heard a click from the gun, a short pause, and then a second click.
Police note that Wilson had called the woman's son earlier in the day asking for money, and the man also had a child with Wilson's sister.
Minutes after the family reported the incident to police, another incident was broadcast over the police communications system saying shots were fired involving the same vehicle and suspect.
A woman who isn't named in the report followed Wilson driving away from the house and updated Boynton Beach PD with his location until he got on the highway. Wilson was spotted by the cops driving on I-95 south into Broward County, before he turned around and headed back toward Delray Beach.
The cops threw out the stop-sticks after he got off the highway, and Wilson bailed out of the car after his tires blew out and he nailed a tree.
Boynton Beach Police Sgt. Richard McNevin caught Wilson running through someone's backyard, but Wilson managed to escape his grasp.
As he began to run from McNevin, Wilson turned around and fired his 9 mm pistol, striking McNevin in the chest area.
Three different cops shot at Wilson as he ran and turned his own gun back at them, and he was hit an unknown number of times before being taken into custody.
Both McNevin and Wilson were transported to the hospital for their bullet wounds, and both underwent surgery.
Here's what State Attorney Michael McAuliffe had to say in a statement after the verdict:
This office has no higher duty than to pursue justice for officers who are the targets of violence. The attempted murder of a Boynton police officer was an act of violence against the officer victim, but also struck at the safety and welfare of all law enforcement. With today's verdict, the jury has assigned full responsibility to the defendant for his attempted murder of an officer in the line of duty. We are grateful for the verdict and for the victim's courage.
Wilson was found guilty of attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer, two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm on a police officer, fleeing or attempting to elude, and felon in possession of a firearm -- all felonies.
He was also found guilty of two misdemeanor counts of improper exhibition of a firearm. At his sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison plus 60 years, as well as two years in the Palm Beach County Jail for the misdemeanors.
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