IOWA, CHICAGO: A Chicago man has been sentenced to up to 92 years in prison. He was found guilty of shooting and critically injuring an Iowa sheriff's deputy during a robbery of a convenience store in 2021.
Stanley Donahue, 38, was charged with attempted murder of a peace officer, among other charges, and must serve a minimum of 60 years in prison before he is eligible for release.
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Linn County deputy Will Halverson was shot seven times
On June 20, 2021, Donahue robbed two Casey's employees, locked them in a cooler, and then shot Linn County deputy Will Halverson seven times, the Associated Press reported. Donahue escaped and was subsequently apprehended following a more than 12-hour manhunt that came to an end when he was seen by a television news crew.
During the sentencing, Halverson who was able to recover after spending several months in the hospital and return to work revealed that he thought he was going to die that night when Donahue shot him. “It’s OK to feel scared about spending the rest of your life in prison,” Halverson said to Donahue during the sentencing. “Use your time wisely. Use that time you have there to change your life for the better.”
Besides attempted murder, he faced charges of robbery, willful injury, attempting to elude, trafficking in stolen weapons, disarming a police officer, felon in possession of a firearm, and two counts of false imprisonment. Donahue was found guilty of all charges in February 2021 as per KCRG
Soon after Halverson made his comments Donahue as per the report disrupted the hearing and cursed the deputy. Even worse, Donahue made fun of Halverson for being emotional during his trial testimony. Donahue's outburst and remark to Halverson following his conviction in February, according to Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks, indicate that he has no remorse.
'It should have been worse than what it was'
The publication noted that after the trial Donahue looked at Halverson and his family and said "It should have been worse than what it was." Maybanks said before adding "There’s no indication that Stanley Donahue won’t commit another horrific crime like this again if given an opportunity, and his criminal history demonstrates he will."
'Scariest night I have ever experienced'
Given that Donahue had spent most of his adult life behind bars and that his crimes had continued to increase over time, Judge Christopher Bruns stated that he thought there was little hope of rehabilitation for Donahue. Donahue didn't make a statement during the hearing.
One of the convenience store clerks, Madelyn Stepanek detailed how the robbery during the “scariest night I have ever experienced,” changed how safe she feels. Stepanek said, “After that night it felt as though a part of my identity and life that I had known was taken away." She added, "These crimes flipped our community in a drastic way and it hurt me along with my family for a lifetime.”
