Daytona Beach man sentenced for shooting a Police Officer in 2018.

Written by Kristen Schmutz

Belden Communications News 

Raymond Roberts, a Daytona Beach man, pled no contest to several felony charges and was sentenced to 30 years in the Florida State Prison system during a hearing on Friday, August 5, 2022. Roberts, who fired several shots from an AK-47 at three Daytona Beach Police Officers – shooting one officer, Kevin Hird, in the arm – on November 25, 2018, had also previously threatened another Daytona Beach Police Officer with a firearm, earlier that year.

According to a release, the charges filed against Roberts stem from three different cases and include three counts of Attempted First-Degree Murder, two counts of Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer, and three counts of Possession of a Firearm by Convicted in State Felon. 

“Our law enforcement officers willingly stand between us and those who would do us harm. When they are threatened and attacked by criminal elements in our communities – it is our duty to prosecute the offenders and seek lengthy prison sentences,” said State Attorney R.J. Larizza regarding the case. “This practice protects our officers and creates a safer environment for our family, friends, and neighbors.”

Chief Assistant State Attorney John Reid successfully prosecuted for the State, with the Honorable Elizabeth Blackburn presiding over the case.