The Columbus man who shot two Mifflin Township police officers last year will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Two judges sentenced 23-year-old Daveonte Dixon to 78 to 89 years in prison on Monday for attempted murder and a parole violation.
Dixon pleaded guilty to attempted murder and five counts of felonious assault in June.
Dixon was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by Mifflin Township police on May 28, 2025. Dixon fled the vehicle and fired about 15 shots at police. He was on community control, better known as parole, at the time.
Before sentencing, prosecutors played police body-worn camera footage of the incident that showed both officers getting shot.
In the first clip, gunshots are heard, followed by an officer swearing. "Officer down! I'm hit! I'm hit!" the officer yelled. He then called to his partner while seeking cover near a building. Blood pooled on the ground.
A second, shorter video, from the second officer's perspective included the sound of gunshots and then went dark as the officer apparently fell to the ground. Prosecuting attorney Steven Schott paused the video 30 seconds in, fast-forwarded about three minutes, then played it again as other first responders reached the fallen officer.
"He's shot in the face! He's unconscious," a first responder yelled.
Following the shooting, police searched for Dixon for two days. A total of eight people were later charged for helping Dixon evade arrest.
Police eventually found Dixon in an Obetz apartment.
As police surrounded the building, Dixon fired another gun several times. Prosecutors said the shots were aimed at four Franklin County sheriff's deputies, while defense attorneys argued Dixon was trying to end his own life.
Dixon ultimately shot himself. He spent months in the hospital recovering.
Dixon's attorney, Mitch Williams, said Dixon underwent multiple surgeries and was in a coma for a time.
When Williams first met Dixon, Dixon couldn't talk. Williams said Dixon wrote on a white board that he'd almost taken a father from his kids, referring to the police officer who Dixon seriously injured.
"I was really relieved that he had humanity," Williams said. "He had heart for somebody else, not himself."
Williams painted a sympathetic picture of Dixon. He said Dixon's mother brought him to Columbus at a young age, hoping to build a better life. Dixon's brushes with the law began after his four-month-old child died of sudden infant death syndrome. Dixon's mother died of cancer a short time later.
"Nothing that I say is in any way going to attempt to minimize the harm that was caused by Mr. Dixon to these officers," Williams said. "But nothing happens in a vacuum. There's a reason why things happen."
Williams also argued that Dixon ran and fired on police because he was afraid of them. He said Dixon has admitted responsibility for what he did, and that he never asked for a trial.
Prosecutors painted a different picture. They showed a drawing that Dixon had that supposedly shows a design for a prison tattoo that mocked Mifflin Township police and memorialized the shooting. It included a cartoon rabbit sticking out its tongue while wearing two badges, the date of the shooting, and the phrase "it ain't fun when I got the gun."
"This drawing is offensive. This gives us a little glimpse into the mindset of the defendant," said attorney Sheryl Prichard. "He was on community control at the time, with a lengthy sentence hanging over his head. He evaded capture for two days, putting dozens of others in jeopardy."
John Litle, a Marsy's Law victim's rights attorney representing one of the police officers who was injured, called for Dixon to receive the maximum sentence of 90 years in prison.
Dixon said he took ownership for his actions.
"I can't change what I've done, but I can at least take ownership and acknowledge my wrong. I hope that one day, I can be seen as a different person," Dixon told Judge Carl Aveni.
After lengthy statements from both sides that touched on the relationship between young people of color and the police, the impact of trauma in a person's life, and the perceived failings of the court system itself, Aveni handed down his sentence.
"It's natural for all parties to want to present this case in the context and against the backdrop of a broader societal discussion," Aveni said. "But this court is not trying to fix every ill of society at once. This court is trying to address and provide accountability for what has happened here on these facts, in this matter."
Aveni sentenced Dixon to 67 to 72.5 years in prison, with credit for about a year and a half of time served.
Then, Dixon headed down one floor to Judge Kim Brown's court to be sentenced again for his parole violation.
Brown was the person who approved Dixon's community control after his defense team and prosecutors in that case negotiated a deal. Dixon had originally been charged with aggravated burglary, kidnapping, domestic violence, menacing and other charges for an incident involving his ex-girlfriend. She was the mother of his infant who died.
"I want you to know that, Judge — your honor — you didn't do wrong. This is my action. I appreciate the fact that you have trusted me, that you had hope in me," Dixon told Brown.
Brown said Dixon participated in anger management and grief counseling during his eight months in jail for that case.
"The information before the court demonstrated that he was taking the charge seriously, and had begun addressing the anger and grief issues that appeared to underlie his criminal conduct," Brown said.
Brown said there was no indication that Dixon was not following the conditions of his parole, until that "changed dramatically" with the shooting of the two police officers.
Brown tacked on another 11 to 16.5 years to Dixon's sentence.
Later, Litle called it a "good day for accountability."
"Dixon will be 101 years old if he ever leaves prison. It's probably pretty unlikely. And we're satisfied with that," Litle said, speaking on behalf of his client, the injured officer.
Franklin County Prosecutor Shayla Favor said the sentence matched the gravity of the crimes.
"The severity of these crimes must be met with the strength of the law, and few things are more severe than attacking the people that are sworn to protect this community," Favor said.
