ROANOKE, Va. (AP) - A Virginia man whose father was fatally shot by a sheriff’s deputy in a standoff has been sentenced on a charge of threatening retaliation in a Facebook post.
The Roanoke Times reports 27-year-old James A. Burton was to be released after entering an Alford plea in Pulaski County court. In an Alford plea a defendant maintains his or her innocence but admits enough evidence exists to convict.
Judge Brad Finch suspended all but two months of Burton’s two-year prison sentence.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Mike Fleenor provided a copy of Burton’s Facebook post, which said he wouldn’t mind if law enforcement officers were shot.
A state police report says 48-year-old James Burton Sr. was shot on May 14 after firing a shotgun toward officers.
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Information from: The Roanoke Times, https://www.roanoke.com
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