GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — More than four years ago, a bullet came within centimeters of Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office K9 Handler Neil Butler’s spine.
Now, he’s back at work and the shooter, James Perkins, has been found guilty.
Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Mark Winne spoke with Butler after he learned about Perkins’ verdict.
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He says he’s thankful that the district attorney’s office had his back.
In June 2022, police tried pulling Perkins over in a stolen vehicle out of Florida, but he sped off before crashing in an apartment complex and barricading inside the SUV.
That’s when he started shooting at deputies, including Butler.
“[I] felt the shot in my back,” he recalled. “It crossed and came right out on top of my spine."
During trial, jurors were shown body camera video and heard testimony from officers.
“I think it was important for the jurors to not only see the body-worn camera from the officers, but to hear the testimony from the officers about what they experienced in the moment firsthand, so that they could see those officers as human beings,” Gwinnett County Managing District Attorney Lauren McAuley said.
Prosecutors say Perkins had previous convictions for fleeing, trafficking, cocaine and guns.
They say he was found guilty on 18 counts and faces the possibility of a 60-year sentence with another 50 years of probation.
“We have to make sure that our officers are protected. And I’m thankful that we could collaborate, come together, and there was no fatality in this incidence,” Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said.
McAuley said that Perkins took the stand in his own defense and when she asked if he liked fleeing, he said he did.
Perkins’ defense attorney Kenneth Sheppard says they plan to appeal the conviction.
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