Fairbanks man gets 18 months for shooting
Published Saturday, November 22, 2008
Digg
delicious
Facebook
Mixx
Reddit
Stumble It!FAIRBANKS — A 23-year-old man was sentenced to 18 months in jail Friday for shooting a man in the leg following a phone conversation both men say is still hazy.
Authorities said Johnathon Blake Whan, who was charged with second-degree felony assault, called his girlfriend at Club Alaskan last April.
The phone was passed around the room and eventually reached a 54-year-old man and his son.
A disagreement ensued, and the son told Fairbanks police after the incident that Whan threatened to kill him and his father, according to a recording played in court Friday. The men then challenged Whan to come to the bar to fight, even offering to pay for his gas.
The men had never met each other prior to that evening.
An hour later, Whan arrived, wearing pajama bottoms, but headed outside after talking to the father and son. The father and son followed him to his car where Whan pulled out a gun and fired three times. The third bullet struck the father in the leg.
“None of this was ever my intention,” Whan told the court at the hour-long sentencing hearing. “I don’t know how this escalated. ... I’m really not a violent person. I don’t have any intent to harm anyone.”
Whan’s attorney, Steve Elliott, argued that Whan had only meant to fire into the ground to scare the two men.
“If you knew all the facts from the beginning of the night, you couldn’t write a script like that,” Elliott said. “If any one factor had been different, it wouldn’t have been like that.”
Superior Court Judge Randy M. Olsen questioned that explanation, however.
“I don’t believe you went over there to apologize or say let’s just be friends,” he said.
Olsen ordered Whan, who has no prior criminal record, to be put on probation for two years after his release. He also will have an additional 18 months of suspended time. In addition, he will have to pay between $50,000 and $80,000 in restitution to the victim. Second-degree assault carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail and a $100,000 fine.
“This young man I don’t think has made $20,000 a year,” Elliott said. “It’s going to take a lot of hard work for him to pay that back.”
Contact staff writer Chris Freiberg at 459-7545.
Community Discussion
Newsminer.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post. Read our full user's agreement.
waah waah pity poor fool. the fact is he SHOT someone, 50-80k is not enought in my opinion. neither is 18 months maybe hell become somebodys snITCH in jail. punk.
18 mos if you shoot someone, and 18 years for selling Meth to adults....
Ok, now he is a convicted felon so he cannot own firearms legally, correct?
I think Mr. Whan should take an alternative sentence. Let someone shoot him in the leg and we'll sit back and see how it turns out for him. Maybe the bullet hits something important, maybe it doesn't. Are you ready to try your luck at the alternate sentence Mr. Whan? Didn't think so.
You are a COWARD!
river_rat any change you can substitute for him since you're such a brave icon of a person ... LOL.
It's ridiculous to think AK would sentence a man for just 18 months after verbally threatening to kill 2 men then acting on that threat just minutes later. In 18 months or whatever is served Johnathon will continue his life as normal. The victim will never be the same, unable to do the things he enjoyed prior to that April night. As previously stated, Johnathon Whan is a coward but so is the judge who sentenced him.
Sincerely,
Chad Ensminger
Post a comment
Commenting requires registration.