MARTINEZ — A 26-year-old man has been sentenced to 35 years to life for murdering his uncle, a crime followed by a shootout between the suspect and Pinole police, court records show.
Jeramy Dorsey was convicted of murder in April and sentenced last month. Jurors acquitted him of attempting to murder a Pinole officer, and couldn’t reach a verdict on a charge of assault with a firearm, records show.
Dorsey shot and killed his uncle, Surako Follings, on July 8, 2021 in the 1100 block of Encina Avenue. Witnesses testified at Dorsey’s April trial that he used to stay with his aunt and uncle in Pinole, but left and began threatening Follings on social media after they had a falling out.
The most compelling witness was Dorsey’s aunt, who testified that her husband was attempting to calm Dorsey down, telling him, “I love you” as Dorsey had him at gunpoint and was cursing at him. After Dorsey shot Follings at close range, Dorsey’s aunt grabbed a firearm and shot at Dorsey while on the phone with a 9-1-1 operator, she testified.
Dorsey ran away and was confronted a short time later by a Pinole police officer. Dorsey, who had a pistol with an extended magazine, fired on the officer, authorities said. The officer fired several shots at Dorsey, wounding him once in the abdomen.
Though the shootout was captured on video, prosecutors also had to prove to jurors that Dorsey intended to kill the officer, not just that he fired his gun, in order to gain an attempted murder conviction.
On July 26, Dorsey was transferred to North Kern State Prison to begin serving his sentence. He will be eligible for parole in 2044, according to prison records.
Source: www.mercurynews.com