On March 28, Jonathon Altland was sentenced to 17 years flat time in the Department of Corrections after being convicted by a Jury of Count 1: Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer, a class 2 Dangerous Offense and Count 2: Unlawful Flight from Law Enforcement, a class 5 felony.
According to the Pinal County Attorney’s Office, on April 29, 2021, Pinal County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) Deputy Nathaniel Clark attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Altland near Picacho.
Altland then fled from Deputy Clark at a high rate of speed. He was paced driving over 120 MPH. As Deputy Clark pursued Altland, he began firing a gun at Deputy Clark, striking the windshield of his patrol car. Altland then drove east through Coolidge, onto the runway of Chandler Airport, and drove the wrong way on the Loop 202 freeway before driving through a fence and into a Ford car dealership. As law enforcement was developing a plan to apprehend Altland at the dealership, he took a car from the dealership and drove into a crowd of officers.
Altland has been indicted in Maricopa County for striking and killing Officer Christopher Farrar with a vehicle.
“Our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to ensure the safety of our community,” County Attorney Miller stated. “Violence and reckless actions against them is an attack on the rule of law itself. My office will continue to work tirelessly to protect our law enforcement and community. I want to thank the prosecutors Patrick Johnson and Gina Cucuzella and all the law enforcement agencies involved in this incident for their excellent work. This sentencing reflects our commitment to holding offenders accountable and ensuring justice is served. My prayers are with the lives affected by this tragedy.”
