A man convicted of first-degree murder and other charges in the killing of a Gilbert police officer during a 2010 traffic stop has been sentenced to life in prison, a spokesperson for the Maricopa County Superior Court announced Tuesday.
The jury convicted Christopher Redondo in the shooting death of Lt. Eric Shuhandler in April. Redondo faced the death penalty.
Authorities say Shuhandler, a 16-year police veteran, stopped Redondo's truck because his license plate was partially obscured. He was shot as he walked from his patrol car back to Redondo's truck after learning there was an open arrest warrant for Redondo.
Shuhandler was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.
Redondo and another man, 44-year-old Daimen Joseph Irizarry, then led police on a high-speed chase where Redondo fired gunshots and threw tools and other objects at pursuing officers, authorities said.
Police said Redondo fired shots at officers again after the truck ran out of gas, and the chase ended about 65 miles southeast of Phoenix. The two got out of the truck and exchanged more gunfire with officers, police said.
Redondo and Irizarry were both shot in the confrontation with officers and survived.
Irizarry was sentenced to 107 years in prison after he was convicted of drive-by shooting and aggravated assault charges.