By Gary Ogle
gogle@wbcowqel.com
The Indiana man convicted of aggravated robbery and injuring Bucyrus Police Chief David Koepke while trying to get away was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday.
Twenty-four-year-old Jacob Laurence was sentenced by visiting Judge Dale Crawford. Laurence was convicted in July in a bench trial before Crawford. Crawford County Prosecutor Matt Crall had asked for a sentence of eight years.
The maximum sentence could have been 11 years. The incident occurred last November at the CVS Pharmacy. Koepke was responding to the shoplifting call when Laurence, by that time out of the building, knocked Koepke down causing Koepke serious injuries. Laurence had taken a can of Red Bull and some beef jerky.
“That’s one reason I asked for a heightened sentence because police officers go to work and while they know they’re in a dangerous profession, they shouldn’t expect to be injured,” Crall said. “That was one of the things said during trial and I found that to be inappropriate.”
Crall cited Laurence’s criminal history that included battery, burglary, fraudulent use of a credit card and a previous prison sentence when he asked the judge to sentence Laurence to eight years in prison.
Defense attorney Adam Stone cited Laurence’s childhood and family history in asking for a sentence of no more than five years that would include treatment for addiction.
“My client has never minimized the injury to the chief (Koepke). He has never not shown remorse for what he has done,” Stone said. “This man stole Red Bull and beef jerky because he was hungry. He was trying to get away. He wasn’t trying to cause anyone harm.”
Stone said Laurence’s mother is an addict and his father and brother have also served time in prison.
“This is a good man who doesn’t understand what the state calls ‘the bounds of decent society,’” Stone said in his argument for a more lenient sentence. “He understands he should go to prison for what he did. What we are asking the court to do is look at this young man, give him an appropriate sentence and the chance to get treatment.”
Laurence apologized both in his statement to the judge and personally to Koepke following the judges pronouncement of sentence.
“I know what I did was wrong. I didn’t mean to harm Chief Koepke. I was just hungry and I wanted something to eat.”
Koepke said he had already put the incident behind him.
“A long time ago I was over the incident. I have full faith in the court and I appreciate Judge Crawford hearing the case. I’m sure he came to his ruling with good cause,” Koepke said. “I was grateful for his (Laurence’s) apology and I accepted it.”
Koepke said he told Laurence he hoped he could find purpose to his life.
Crawford noted Laurence will serve an additional five years on mandatory post release control once he is released from prison. Crall said because of the trial and conviction, Laurence will serve all five years minus credit for time served in the county jail.