Santa Cruz man sentenced for shooting a fireman

A Santa Cruz man learned his punishment for shooting a fireman.

According to the Monterey County District Attorney, 26-year-old Jacob Thomas Kirkendall was sentenced to 14 years of felony probation and he will spend the first year in a locked mental health facility.

His status there will remain subject to periodic review by the judge with input from medical professionals.

Kirkendall was sentenced after pleading to guilty to assault with a firearm, with a personal use of a firearm enhancement and assault with a deadly weapon.

On December 11, 2017, Kirkendall drove recklessly on Nacimiento-Ferguson Road. Peter Harris, a Division Fire Chief, for the U.S. Department of Forestry was on his way home after working the Ventana Fire near Big Sur when he noticed Kirkendall drive past then park his truck diagonally blocking the entire roadway. Harris had no room to drive around Kirkendall’s truck.

Kirkendall then quickly got out of his truck and got a shotgun. Harris started to turn when Kirkendall pointed at him and fired the gun.

Several pellets from the buckshot hit Harris in the back of the head, neck, shoulder, and back getting lodged under his skin.

Harris still managed to turn his vehicle around and drive in the opposite direction warning oncoming vehicles about Kirkendall.

Kirkendall then led deputies and California Highway Patrol officers on a high speed chase tha ended on Forter Hunter Liggett.

The D.A. said before this incident in December Kirkendall had survived being electrocuted by live power lines at Rio Del Mar Beach. In 2009, when he was just 17-years-old, he tried to put out an electrical fire by throwing water on the flames, but electrocuted himself by doing that.

Kirkendall spent nearly 100 days in a coma and suffered brain damage. He also suffers from diagnosed mental illness.

If Kirkendall violates the terms of his probation, he could be sentenced to prison time.