ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis man was sentenced to 20 years in prison after he admitted to shooting and injuring two police officers near Soulard Market in February of 2023.
Cortez Sipes was sentenced after reaching a deal with prosecutors and pleading guilty to two counts of first-degree assault and two counts of armed criminal action.
Sipes, 38, admitted to fleeing arrest in a suspected robbery on Feb. 2, 2023. After evading police and driving through Soulard Market, he crashed his truck.
He admitted that after the crash, he pulled out a gun and opened fire, hitting both officers in their upper bodies. The officers returned fire, striking Sipes in the ankle.
Both officers survived their gunshot wounds and were in court on Friday to provide impact statements. One of the officers said he forgave Sipes and gave him a red Bible with a personal message inscribed inside.
A press release from the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court said Sipes apologized to the officers for his actions.
