Modesto man faces multiple life sentences for shootout that critically injured police officer
A jury convicted a 45-year-old Modesto man of three counts of attempted murder of police officers and other charges connected with a 2021 shootout that seriously injured a Modesto police officer.
Jesse Brooks, who has a previous conviction for a serious felony, could face multiple life sentences. Brooks was also convicted of three counts of assault with a firearm on a police officer, being a felon in possession of a firearm and a gun enhancement for causing serious injury to a police officer.
The shooting occurred Aug. 14, 2021, when Modesto police officers served a search warrant at an Orangeburg Avenue address. According to facts in the case, Brooks was inside the dwelling and said he would not return to prison but would shoot it out with the officers.
Brooks, who armed himself with a gun, was barricaded in a room. He fired a dozen rounds at officers. Officer Michael Rokaitis suffered a gunshot would in the abdomen and was struck on the upper portion of his bulletproof vest.
As officers returned fire, Brooks was struck by several rounds. Both Rokaitis and Brooks were taken to the hospital. Rokaitis was treated for critical injuries and almost died. One of his legs was amputated because of the severity of his injuries. The officer later was awarded the law enforcement Medal of Honor for his actions.
Rokaitis, who underwent surgeries and learned to use a prosthetic leg, returned to duty in 2022 about 16 months after the shooting.
'Violence against police officers is an attack on the rule of law and public safety,' Stanislaus County District Attorney Jeff Laugero said in a news release. 'Our community will not tolerate such violence, and I have zero tolerance for such acts and will ensure that those who commit such acts are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.'
The conviction could result in sentences totaling 155 years in prison for Brooks. A sentencing date has not been set.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Plastic surgeon jailed for trying to kill colleague
A plastic surgeon has been jailed for life for attempting to murder a colleague he wanted "out of the way" because he was a witness against him in disciplinary proceedings. Jonathan Peter Brooks broke into Graeme Perks's home in Halam, Nottinghamshire, in the early hours of 14 January 2021, wearing camouflage gear and armed with a crowbar, cans of petrol, matches and a knife. A trial in Loughborough heard Mr Perks had a "95% chance of dying" after being stabbed by Brooks. Brooks, who was convicted of attempted murder, attempted arson with intent to endanger life and possession of a bladed article, was told he would serve at least 22 years in prison. On the night of the attack, Brooks smashed conservatory doors and doused the ground floor of the house with petrol, intending to set it on fire. Mr Perks, a consultant plastic surgeon who had recently retired, was woken by the break-in and initially mistook the defendant for his son, before Brooks stabbed him in the abdomen. The trial previously heard Mr Perks's injuries were "of the most serious type", and included a bleeding liver, injuries to the pancreas and bowel, and an "extremely life-threatening injury" to the back of the abdomen. Brooks appeared via video-link from HMP Norwich after refusing to attend the court in person, having claimed he had a bedsore that meant he would be unable to sit for long periods. The judge said he was informed Brooks was physically fit to attend, and there was no reason he could not. Throughout the hearing, Brooks moved around in his room, occasionally standing from his wheelchair. He was sitting looking towards the camera as his sentence was handed down. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.

Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
2 Tacoma officers who saved man from burning car awarded Medal of Valor
Officers Victor Celis and Cory Correia did not think twice before they rescued David Brooks from his burning car two months ago. For that, they've received a prestigious award Thursday. Celis and Correia were dispatched April 29 to the 900 block of South 96th Street for a single-car crash. A car had struck a pole and fence, with its engine compartment fully engulfed in flames, according to the Tacoma Police Department. Brooks had been driving the vehicle and was still inside when the officers arrived. 'The only thing I remember at that point was I came back to senses, or whatever it might have been, noticing that my airbag had deployed, my car's on fire and I pressed my panic alarm,' Brooks told The News Tribune at a ceremony held to honor Celis and Correia. 'The operator comes on and I said, 'My car's on fire, and I don't think I can get up.'' Celis and Correia pulled Brooks out of the car and had to navigate the smoke, flames and downed wires to move him to a safe distance from the fire. 'Once I was basically at safety, the only thing else I heard was, boom. The car had exploded,' Brooks said. The incident left Brooks with a crushed heel and several fractured bones in his body. Brooks said he was in the ICU and eventually taken to a general room at a hospital. Now, he is going through rehabilitation and recovery. Celis told The News Tribune that saving Brooks was just instinct. 'You don't think about what you're doing. You just go in and you get it done,' Celis said, 'You gotta help him, that's the whole point.' For the rescue, Celis and Correia were awarded the Medal of Valor at the police headquarters. This medal is the highest honor given to police officers in the country for acts of bravery and heroism that went beyond what is normally expected. Both officers told The News Tribune they had learned they were being awarded the Medal of Valor once the ceremony began. 'It feels great,' Correia said when he was asked how receiving the honor felt. 'I think the chief made a good point saying that any one of these other officers would do the exact same thing.' Correia has been with TPD since 2019, while Celis joined the department in 2022. Celis has been in law enforcement for 28 years, and will be joining the Fircrest Police Department in July as their newest chief of police. Interim Police Chief Patti Jackson awarded Celis and Correia their medals during the ceremony as members of the department watched. City manager Elizabeth Pauli, family members of the officers, Brooks and his family also were in attendance. 'Despite the spreading fire, both officers put themselves in harm's way to save the driver's life without waiting for assistance from the Fire Department,' Lt. Shawn Mallot said at the ceremony. Brooks' brother, Steven, thanked the officers in his remarks during the ceremony. He said he had written a letter to Jackson in May, which summarized how grateful his family was. 'These officers are a very good example of what being an unselfish hero is all about,' he said.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Two people hospitalized after car crash in Oswego County
HANNIBAL, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Two people with serious injuries are being treated at Upstate Hospital after a car crash in Oswego County on Wednesday night. At 4:41 p.m. on June 4, the Oswego County Sheriff's Office was called to a two-car crash at the corner of State Route 104 and 66 Road in the Town of Hannibal. The sheriff's office says their investigation found, a 2012 Honda Civic was driving west on 104 when it passed a car that was stopped and attempting to make a right turn and hit a 2012 Lincoln MKZ that was driving east on 104 and trying to turn north onto 66 Road. Both drivers were taken to Upstate Hospital with serious injuries. Their conditions are not known. Majority of Onondaga County families approved for child care assistance Two people hospitalized after car crash in Oswego County Got a scam DMV text? How they got your number Westcott Theater plans to reopen after shutting down over safety violations Four more Brooks defendants have hearing in Oneida Co. Court Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.