A man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for charges including attempted capital murder, terroristic act and interfering with law enforcement after firing a handgun at Newport police, according to court records.
Trevor Billingsley, 25, was initially sentenced Wednesday in a Jackson County court to 35 years, according to court documents. However, a suspended imposition of sentence showed that after Billingsley pleaded guilty, the sentence was 30 years.
Officers were dispatched in June 2020 for a report of shoplifting at the Walmart in Newport, according to an affidavit. The suspect, later identified as Billingsley, took off on foot.
Billingsley brandished a handgun and shot at officers until he ran out of ammunition, the affidavit states. He then threw his handgun and began to flee on foot, officers said.
After a short chase, Billingsley was taken into custody, where officers found that he was on active parole and was listed as an absconder with felony warrants for his arrest, according to the affidavit.
A search of his vehicle turned up digital scales with a white crystal substance on top, which officers believed to be methamphetamine, the affidavit states.
Officers said Billingsley’s previous felony charges had prevented him from possessing a firearm.
According to the affidavit, charges were from 2016 and included possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to appear, theft, possession of controlled substance and possession of a firearm.