Trial Ends with Gordon’s Guilty Plea

The trial for Khari DeShaun Gordon took an abrupt turn on Thursday afternoon as the man accused of shooting two Lavonia police officers returned from an afternoon break and entered a guilty plea.

Gordon pled guilty to two counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer with intent to murder, two counts of aggravated battery, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, theft by bringing stolen property across state lines and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Upon entering the plea, Gordon was then sentenced by Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Malcom to 100 years in prison with the first 50 being served before being eligible for parole.

The plea came after a barrage of witnesses called by District Attorney Parks White painted a very grim picture of the incident, including videos from the patrol car and one of the officer’s body cams as well as eye witness accounts of events that night.

About the plea, White said the outcome of this case sends a strong message to recidivist felons regarding the consequences of intentionally inflicting injury upon members of law enforcement within the Northern Judicial Circuit.

Gordon had been accused of shooting Captain Michael Schulman and Officer Jeffrey Martin on Dec. 12, 2016 during a routine traffic stop in the Zaxby’s parking lot in Lavonia. A check with GCIC revealed the vehicle Gordon was driving was stolen.

Gordon shot the two officers and then fled the scene barefoot carrying a handgun, according to witnesses. Gordon was tracked down in the woods about two miles from the scene of the shooting several hours later.

In January 2017, Gordon was indicted on four counts of aggravated assault on a police officer, four counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, two counts of aggravated battery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and theft by bringing stolen merchandise into the state.

Gordon has a lengthy criminal history, including having been released from jail in Greenville County in June 2016 after posting a $25,000 bond on attempted murder charges. Gordon had previously been convicted of escaping from a youth detention center in 2012, a felony. Gordon also had been convicted of breaking into autos/fuel tanks, grand larceny, third-degree burglary and possession of marijuana over the past six years.