Delaware News

Frederick Gray sentenced to life for attempted murder of Wilmington Police Officer

Criminal Division | Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | New Castle County | Date Posted: Friday, April 25, 2014



Wilmington – Attorney General Beau Biden announced that a Wilmington man convicted of shooting Wilmington Police Officer Justin Wilkers last year was sentenced today to life in prison.

 

“This case is a reminder of the sacrifice our police officers and their families make every day to keep us safe,” Biden said.  “We are thankful that the quick thinking of Officer Wilkers’ fellow officers who rushed him to the hospital and the excellent emergency medical care he received saved his life.  The dangerous criminal who committed this heinous act demonstrated a complete and callous disregard for the life of a police officer and for the law and has forfeited his right to ever walk the streets again.  This life sentence sends a clear message to others who would consider using a gun to commit a crime or to foolishly attempt to resist arrest.”

 

On February 2, 2013, Frederick Gray robbed the clerk of a Shell gas station on South Walnut Street in Wilmington at gunpoint.  The next day Gray was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by Wilmington Police Officer Justin Wilkers and his partner in the City’s Southbridge neighborhood.  After the car came to a stop, as the other occupants of the vehicle fled, Gray exited the vehicle, pulled a handgun, pointed it at Officer Wilkers, and shot three times, seriously wounding the Officer in the head with one shot.  At the time of these crimes Gray was on probation following a five year prison sentence he served for shooting a victim during an assault.

 

Gray was convicted at trial in January, 2014 on one count of Attempted 1st Degree murder, three weapons charges, and Resisting Arrest for the February 3, 2013 attempted murder of Officer Wilkers.  Following a separate trial last month Gray was convicted of assault for the February 2, 2013 armed robbery.

 

Today, Gray, age 22, was sentenced on both of his offenses.  New Castle County Superior Court Judge Calvin L. Scott, Jr. sentenced Gray to life in prison for the attempted murder and imposed an additional 52 year prison sentence for the additional offenses.

 

Biden praised Deputy Attorneys General Joseph Grubb, Matthew Frawley, and Brian Robertson for leading the prosecution of the attempted murder case, and Deputy Attorneys General Kate Keller and Julie Finocchiaro for securing Gray’s conviction in the armed robbery case.  He also recognized the Wilmington Police Department for the outstanding investigation it conducted in these cases under difficult circumstances.

 

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Frederick Gray sentenced to life for attempted murder of Wilmington Police Officer

Criminal Division | Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | New Castle County | Date Posted: Friday, April 25, 2014



Wilmington – Attorney General Beau Biden announced that a Wilmington man convicted of shooting Wilmington Police Officer Justin Wilkers last year was sentenced today to life in prison.

 

“This case is a reminder of the sacrifice our police officers and their families make every day to keep us safe,” Biden said.  “We are thankful that the quick thinking of Officer Wilkers’ fellow officers who rushed him to the hospital and the excellent emergency medical care he received saved his life.  The dangerous criminal who committed this heinous act demonstrated a complete and callous disregard for the life of a police officer and for the law and has forfeited his right to ever walk the streets again.  This life sentence sends a clear message to others who would consider using a gun to commit a crime or to foolishly attempt to resist arrest.”

 

On February 2, 2013, Frederick Gray robbed the clerk of a Shell gas station on South Walnut Street in Wilmington at gunpoint.  The next day Gray was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by Wilmington Police Officer Justin Wilkers and his partner in the City’s Southbridge neighborhood.  After the car came to a stop, as the other occupants of the vehicle fled, Gray exited the vehicle, pulled a handgun, pointed it at Officer Wilkers, and shot three times, seriously wounding the Officer in the head with one shot.  At the time of these crimes Gray was on probation following a five year prison sentence he served for shooting a victim during an assault.

 

Gray was convicted at trial in January, 2014 on one count of Attempted 1st Degree murder, three weapons charges, and Resisting Arrest for the February 3, 2013 attempted murder of Officer Wilkers.  Following a separate trial last month Gray was convicted of assault for the February 2, 2013 armed robbery.

 

Today, Gray, age 22, was sentenced on both of his offenses.  New Castle County Superior Court Judge Calvin L. Scott, Jr. sentenced Gray to life in prison for the attempted murder and imposed an additional 52 year prison sentence for the additional offenses.

 

Biden praised Deputy Attorneys General Joseph Grubb, Matthew Frawley, and Brian Robertson for leading the prosecution of the attempted murder case, and Deputy Attorneys General Kate Keller and Julie Finocchiaro for securing Gray’s conviction in the armed robbery case.  He also recognized the Wilmington Police Department for the outstanding investigation it conducted in these cases under difficult circumstances.

 

# # #

 

 

image_printPrint

Related Topics:  ,


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.