A 21-year-old Menlo Park resident was sentenced Wednesday to 17 years and four months in state prison for assaulting a police officer after shooting a man, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.
Following a 15-day trial, Jaime Demecio Romero was convicted March 13 of felony assault with a semiautomatic firearm, resisting arrest and badly injuring a police officer, felony possession of an illegal firearm, and using a firearm to commit a felony.
On Aug. 28, 2013, Menlo Park police responded to a report that Romero shot a 24-year-old man who allegedly attacked him with a baseball bat during a traffic altercation on the 1300 block of Willow Road, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said. When they tried to arrest him, Romero resisted and assaulted an officer, seriously injuring his hand.
The officer had to undergo surgery, and although he is now is back on duty there was doubt at one point that he would ever be able to return, Wagstaffe said.
Asked why Romero was sentenced to 17-plus years, Wagstaffe said, “There’s a very good reason, and that is his record.”
Under California’s “three strikes law,” Romero’s sentence can be doubled because he was convicted of a prior felony, Wagstaffe said. Plus, injuring an officer and illegally carrying a gun were deemed “very strong aggravating factors for the judge,” he added.
Wagstaffe said although Romero faced a maximum sentence of 36 years and four months, Superior Court Judge Barbara Mallach reduced that time significantly due to his age. His sentence also was reduced because his actions were not found to be gang-related.
“My thought was that it’s a very strong sentence from the judge — not as much as it could have been, but still strong — and an excellent message for anyone who uses a gun illegally,” Wagstaffe said.
Romero’s attorney, Gerritt Rutgers, could not be immediately reached for comment.
Romero will be credited for having served 404 days in prison.
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