Three men convicted in a violent 2023 crime spree that left a Tallahassee police officer critically wounded were each sentenced Monday to mandatory life in prison.
Leon County Circuit Judge Jonathan Sjostrom imposed the life sentences on John’Darious Wright, Rahyim Sanders and Tyrell Guinnie after a jury convicted the trio in May of multiple felonies stemming from two home invasions on Sept. 25, 2023. Because each defendant was convicted of the attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, Florida law required a life sentence.
Prosecutors said Wright carried out both home invasions and shot Tallahassee Police Officer Caleb Babb while fleeing the second crime scene on Sandpiper Court. Babb, who had been on the force for about a year, suffered a gunshot wound that severed his femoral artery and nearly died from blood loss before receiving emergency medical treatment. Wright also was convicted of shooting a man in the face during an earlier home invasion on Cypress Point Road that same morning.
During Monday’s sentencing hearing, Officer Babb addressed the court, describing the lasting impact the shooting has had on his life and career. Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell also spoke, praising Babb’s courage and the officers who responded that morning.
Babb ultimately made a full recovery and became the first living recipient of the Tallahassee Police Department’s Purple Heart award. Monday’s sentences conclude one of Leon County’s most significant violent crime prosecutions in recent years, bringing nearly three years of court proceedings to a close.
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