PORT ANGELES — The man convicted of attempting to murder a Clallam County sheriff’s deputy in January 2009 was sentenced to 25 years in prison Tuesday.
Scott L. Davis, 61, was found guilty of first-degree attempted murder and first-degree assault for shooting Clallam County Sheriff’s Deputy Bill Cortani at a waterfront cabin near Sekiu.
He was convicted by a jury in Clallam County Superior Court on July 30. Judge Ken Williams handed down the sentence in a 45-minute hearing Tuesday.
Davis will be 86 when released, if he serves the full sentence.
Cortani, 42, was investigating a trespassing complaint when Davis opened fire at a West End cabin between Neah Bay and Sekiu. Davis shot the Forks lawman in the left arm and hip.
Cortani took cover behind a beach log and returned fire, hitting Davis in the stomach and arm after Davis emptied his handgun and retrieved a 12-gauge shotgun.
Cortani held Davis at gunpoint until backup arrived about 30 minutes later.
Both men were treated at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
Cortani returned to his beat after his wound healed.
He described the sentence as “fair.”
Defense attorney Harry Gasnick, who filed a notice of appeal on Tuesday, argued at trial that Davis was suffering from mental health problems at the time of the shooting.
A Seattle neuropsychologist testified that Davis had bipolar 1 disorder and was possibly not taking his medications on the day of the shootout.
