Guilty: man who murdered Modoc County deputy could face death penalty

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A man who was accused of shooting and killing a Modoc County, California deputy has been found guilty.

In October 2016, Deputy Jack Hopkins responded to a family disturbance call. When he arrived at the scene, he was fatally shot. The suspect, Jack Breiner, went on to engage in a shootout with Sheriff Mike Poindexter, but he was eventually arrested.

Breiner eventually faced a jury trial in Sacramento County because of the amount of publicity the case received in Modoc County.

Now, a jury has rendered a unanimous verdict: guilty. Breiner was found guilty of the willful and deliberate premeditated murder of Deputy Hopkins. He was also found guilty of being a felon in the possession of a firearm and attempted murder.

Special circumstances make Breiner eligible for the death penalty.

The next step in the case will be a hearing to establish the state of Breiner’s sanity. After that will come the death penalty phase.

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