Alturas, Cal. – Life in prison – without the possibility of parole.
That sentence was handed down Monday in Alturas for a man found ‘guilty’ of shooting and killing a Modoc County Sheriff’s Deputy.
The mother of fallen Modoc County Sheriff’s Deputy Jack Hopkins was blunt in her assessment Monday of the man who killed her son.
“You said in the courtroom after the verdict came in, ‘why don’t you just take me out front and shoot me.” Carol Hopkins stated. “Let me tell you, there are many of us here who would have happily obliged that if the court would have allowed it.”
Deputy Hopkins was shot and killed at a home south of Alturas in October of 2016.
A jury found convicted sex offender Jack Breiner guilty of the murder, and for the attempted murder of former Sheriff Mike Poindexter in November of last year.
He was sentenced Monday in Modoc County Court.
However, Breiner denied the crimes after sentencing. “Those were 3 felonies I didn’t even do.” Said Breiner. “That day they came back and shot my gun into the window.”
Evidence was presented at trial that Breiner used an AK-47 assault rifle in the shooting.
“It’s been the most difficult task of my life.” Carol Hopkins noted. “Writing a victim’s statement pertaining to the assassination – not murder – assassination of my son, Deputy Jack Lanceson Hopkins.”
There are still plenty of reminders and memorials to Deputy Hopkins in Alturas.
“There’s not a day goes by that we don’t think about him, that I don’t think about him personally – we miss him deeply.” Reflected Modoc County Sheriff Tex Dowdy. “But in some respects, he’s here every day.”
While a jury found Breiner fit to stand trial, Judge Candace Beason noted that he does have serious mental health issues – and is requesting that Breiner be sent to a prison appropriate for the seriously mentally ill.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.