Modesto man faces 180 years for shooting and injuring officer in 2021
A Modesto man convicted of shooting and injuring a police officer during a 2021 standoff was sentenced to 180 years to life in prison, according to the Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office.
A jury found Jesse Brooks, 45, guilty on Feb. 5 of three counts of premeditated attempted murder of a police officer, three counts of assault with a firearm on a police officer and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, along with several sentencing enhancements, including that Brooks discharged a firearm causing serious injury to a police officer, according to a press release posted on the DA's office Facebook page.
The charges stem from an Aug. 14, 2021, incident on Orangeburg Avenue in Modesto, where police officers were executing a search warrant at a residence. Brooks was allegedly inside the home and threatened to shoot it out with officers rather than return to prison. When police entered, Brooks barricaded himself in a room, armed himself and fired 12 rounds at officers.
During the gunfire exchange, Officer Michael Rokaitis was shot in the abdomen and in the upper part of his bulletproof vest. Officers returned fire, striking Brooks multiple times. Both Rokaitis and Brooks were hospitalized following the shooting.
At Brooks' sentencing hearing on April 25, Rokaitis delivered a victim impact statement, recounting the life-threatening injuries he suffered and the toll the shooting took on his family. Since the shooting, Rokaitis has undergone seven surgeries, including one to have part of his right leg amputated.
Speaking directly to Brooks, Rokaitis said he forgave him.
Rokaitis received the law enforcement Medal of Honor for his actions during the incident.
'The sentencing of Brooks for nearly killing Rokaitis is a powerful affirmation that we will not tolerate violence against our front-line protectors and our justice system stands firmly behind those who risk their lives to keep our community safe,' District Attorney Jeff Laugero stated in the press release.
'While no sentence can completely heal the deep physical and emotional scars inflicted by such a violent encounter, this conviction and prison sentence serves as an important reminder that our community values and defends its law enforcement officers.'
The Stanislaus County District Attorney's Bureau of Investigation and the Modesto Police Department conducted the investigation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News24
2 days ago
- News24
DA proposes anti-corruption commission amid NPA criticism on botched cases
Our_DA / Twitter The DA has proposed an independent anti-corruption commission and constitutional reforms to strengthen the NPA. NPA head Shamila Batohi admitted setbacks in Timothy Omotoso and the Gupta brothers' extradition cases but defended the progress, blaming underfunding. Batohi insists the NPA is recovering from state capture's damage. The DA has called for sweeping reforms to the country's criminal justice system, including the establishment of an independent anti-corruption commission. The party accused the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) of systemic failures in the handling of high-profile corruption cases. Briefing the media on Friday, DA MPs Glynnis Breytenbach, Damien Klopper and Nicholas Gotsell outlined concerns over the NPA's inability to secure convictions in state capture cases. They cited recent blunders such as the botched extradition from the US of Moroadi Cholota, the ex-personal assistant of former Free State premier Ace Magashule. 'Monotonous' failures Breytenbach criticised the NPA for 'failing to prosecute with any kind of conviction', pointing to procedural errors in high-stakes cases. She highlighted the Cholota matter, where the Free State director of public prosecutions, rather than the justice minister, incorrectly applied for her extradition, a misstep that derailed the case. On Tuesday, the Bloemfontein High Court overturned Cholota's extradition from the US to face corruption charges in the ongoing R250 million Free State asbestos corruption case involving her former boss Magashule, businessperson Edwin Sodi and others. The court upheld a special plea Cholota raised on the NPA's decision to haul her back to SA. Cholota will no longer appear as a co-accused in the case. These mistakes keep happening with monotonous regularity. Glynnis Breytenbach Breytenbach added that not a single politically connected individual had been imprisoned for state capture. She cited other failures, including the Thales corruption case and the withdrawal of charges in the Phala Phala matter due to procedural errors. Klopper expanded on these concerns, referencing the high-profile case of Nigerian televangelist Timothy Omotoso, in which the NPA's mishandling led to a 'disastrous acquittal'. He also noted the DA's recent private prosecution of a common assault case after the NPA declined to pursue it, questioning the institution's capacity to handle even basic prosecutions. Omotoso was acquitted last month and later deported to Nigeria. Calls for structural reform The DA proposed three key interventions: An anti-corruption commission – A chapter 9 body independent of executive control, with its budget determined by National Treasury rather than the justice minister Strengthening NPA independence – Constitutional amendments to remove the president's sole power to appoint and dismiss the National Director of Public Prosecutions Capacitating the NPA – Urgent budget increases to fill vacancies and attract skilled prosecutors, alongside performance audits by the Auditor-General. Gotsell added that a 'watching brief' programme, piloted in the Western Cape, could improve the coordination between the NPA, the SA Police Service and the victims of crime. He also suggested employing final-year law students to assist the prosecutors with administrative tasks. Batohi defends NPA's record Meanwhile, NPA head Shamila Batohi, speaking on SABC News earlier in the day, acknowledged the setbacks but denied a crisis within the institution. Batohi admitted that the Omotoso case was 'devastating' but said the NPA was appealing the court judgment and it was also investigating prosecutors' conduct. On state capture, Batohi defended the NPA's progress in the cases, noting that the Investigating Directorate had enrolled 33 cases. However, she conceded that there were challenges, including underfunding and salary disparities that were driving skilled prosecutors to other agencies, and 'internal chaos' caused by some staff allegedly undermining the NPA's mission. There has been no political interference during my tenure, Shamila Batohi She admitted she could not guarantee that individual prosecutors were not influenced. She also expressed frustration over the delays in extraditing the Gupta brothers, blaming the United Arab Emirates (UAE) court's refusal and pledging to reapply with additional evidence. In 2023, the UAE dismissed SA's request to extradite the Guptas, and government's attempts have yielded no fruit since then. With her term ending in January next year, Batohi vowed to intensify efforts in the remaining months of her contract. The DA, however, remained sceptical, arguing that only bold reforms, not 'slapdash legislation', could restore public trust in the NPA.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Man charged with assault for allegedly attacking and strangling neighbor
Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. MURRAY, Utah () — A Murray man has been charged with assault after banging on his neighbor's door and allegedly physically attacking him when he came outside. Bryan M Barrios, 31, was charged with felony aggravated assault, misdemeanor assault, threat of violence, property damage, and public intoxication. On May 21, 2025, just before 9 p.m., a Murray City police officer was called to a disturbance near Regal Street in Murray. When the officer arrived, a group of people were standing outside and pointed out a man they said had attacked them. Two inmates charged for allegedly stabbing 'rival gang member' at Utah State Prison One person, the victim, was bleeding from several injuries and had a red mark and abrasion on his neck, according to the officer's arrest statement. The victim told the officer that his neighbor, Barrios, had begun banging on his door loudly, damaging the doorframe from the impact. When the victim opened the door to speak with him, documents say Barrios began yelling at him and physically attacked him. The victim recalled Barrios saying, 'I'm going to f– kill you!' and wrapping his arm around his neck to strangle him. According to documents, surveillance footage of the altercation showed Barrios attempting to strangle the victim, causing him to fall to the ground. Barrios then made a second attempt to strangle him, but the victim managed to pin Barrios' arms to his chest and stop the physical attack. The officer who apprehended Barrios reported that he smelled of alcohol and appeared to be intoxicated. Barrios was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail and was charged by the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office on June 6. Musk floats 'The American Party' after Trump tiff Myths VS Facts: What health officials want you to know about the MMR vaccine Good4Utah Road Tour: Willard Bay State Park Lori Vallow Daybell back in court, charged with conspiracy to murder ex nephew-in-law Man charged with assault for allegedly attacking and strangling neighbor Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
DA: SF felon shot self, then victim during search for gang members
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A felon has been charged in a late-May Tenderloin shooting where he accidentally shot himself while firing from his car at a suspected gang member, prosecutors announced on Friday. Hit-and-run driver who ran over, seriously injured 5-year-old charged: SF DA At a Thursday arraignment hearing, Jonathan Contreras, 33, pleaded not guilty and denied all allegations involving the May 24 incident on the 500 block of Ellis St., said San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins' Office. 'Allegedly, he was in a vehicle and asked the victim, who had just exited from a business on the block, if he was a member of a gang,' said the DA's office in a news release. 'Mr. Contreras allegedly then pulled out a firearm, accidentally shot himself in the leg and then shot the victim causing great bodily injury.' He was charged with several crimes, including discharging a firearm from a motor vehicle, unlawful possession of a loaded firearm and having a concealed firearm in a vehicle. Contreras remains in custody with no set bail. 'The District Attorney's Office moved to have him detained pending trial due to the public safety risk he poses,' confirmed the DA's office. Despite charges being filed, this remains an active investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the SFPD tip line at (415) 575-4444 or text TIP411, starting the message with 'SFPD.' Anonymous tips are welcome. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
