The teen whohit two Milwaukee police officers and drove off last July was sentenced to almost a year behind bars Monday.
19-year-old Ladonesty Fowlkes was placed in handcuffs following his sentencing hearing at the Milwaukee County Courthouse. The teen will start a ten-month stint behind bars, then three years and two months probation.
If Fowlkes violates parole, the judge said he will be sentenced to six years in Wisconsin State Prison.
Fowlkes is serving time for a hit and run crash that happened last July. He admitted to crashing into a van on Milwaukee’s northwest side, which then struck two officers on the sidewalk, seriously injuring them.
His father spoke in court Monday, asking the judge for leniency. He hoped the judge would sentence his son to probation only.
“I just don’t feel like this system is even fair at all,” said Ladonesty Fowlkes Senior.
The 19-year-old’s attorney told the court, Ladonesty hasn’t had any run-ins with the law and feels remorseful for the accident.
The injured police officers, Andrew Marx Paul Marchese, were present in court Monday. Marx made a statement, saying the accident has put his family under stress.
“As we’ve seen the last month or so, not every officer goes home at the end of their shift,” Marx said.
Judge Michelle Ackerman-Havas told the teen if he had stayed at the scene of the accident, he might not be in court Monday.
“They could have died. And you saw that. You were there,” said Ackerman-Havas.
Fowlkes himself apologized in the courtroom, telling the judge, jail shouldn’t be his punishment.
“The justice system isn’t a place for me to be,” said Fowlkes.
Besides jail time, Fowlkes has to pay $1700 in restitution money, mostly medical bills for one of the injured officers.
