Former officer gets 5 years in shooting that paralyzed suspect

WASHINGTON — A former District Heights officer who shot and paralyzed a
man while he was handcuffed has been sentenced to five years in prison.

Johnnie Riley, 44, shot 28-year-old Kalvin Kyle after Kyle escaped a squad car
in September 2012.

Riley had Kyle into custody after learning Kyle had been riding a stolen
motorcycle.

When Kyle bolted from the police car, Riley shot him. The shots paralyzed Kyle
from the waist down.

A jury last summer convicted Riley of assault, use of a firearm in the
commission of a crime and misconduct in office.

Thursday’s sentencing hearing was Riley’s second. During the first one, he
screamed obscenities and lunged at prosecutors.

The sentence is the minimum Riley could have received.

Prosecutors had sought a sentence of 25 years. The maximum sentence for the
crimes could have been more
than 45 years in prison.

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