a man Gunshots opened on University Hill in 2022 He accepted a plea deal on Friday before being shot by police and was sentenced to two years in prison and eight years in the community.

Zakiyy Lucas, 24, pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder by extreme indifference; disorderly conduct – discharge of a firearm; and possession of a tampered firearm.

On the attempted murder charge, Lucas was sentenced to eight years in prison with community penalties and two 364-day sentences on the disorderly conduct and possession charges. All sentences will run consecutively. He also received 40 days of credit for the time he was given toward sentencing. All other counts were dismissed.

Deputy District Attorney Ken Kupfner said at the beginning of the case that he did not think Lucas would receive a sentence of less than ten years. Kupfner said Lucas refused every program offered to him in prison and received numerous disciplinary actions for this behavior.

But when defense attorney Valerie Cole took on the case, she requested extra time to provide more mitigating evidence. Kupfner acknowledged this but said it was unlikely to change his mind.

But Cole traveled to Lucas’ hometown, spoke with childhood friends and family members, and created a video highlighting the struggles Lucas endured throughout his life. District Judge Dea Lindsey said she had only seen mitigations this extensive in death penalty and murder cases.

“I had to admit I was wrong, Ms. Cole had given me a convincing mitigation package,” Kupfner said. “The main reason we’re here is this commutation package, and I’m not arguing for sending him to prison for ten years.”

Kupfner said criminally punishing someone for attempted murder and serving a prison sentence is far from the norm, but he believes sending Lucas to prison wouldn’t make the situation better.

“He has a lot of work to do, but he accepted it and started doing it,” Kupfner said.

“I hope to see him in a few years in an incredibly successful place,” he added.

Throughout Friday morning’s sentencing, Lucas’ loved ones shed tears, laughed and smiled at Lucas; Meanwhile, many people took to the podium to talk about him. Lucas’ mother, NAACP representative Darren O’Connor, and former boxing coach Carrie Barry spoke on his behalf.

O’Connor cited another case: man sentenced to 180 days in prison with two years probation for armed assault He said Lucas’ charges were less serious, but argued that Lucas faced a longer prison sentence because he was a young black man.

Lindsey also talked about how Lucas’ Black identity has and will continue to impact his life. He emphasized that about 1% of Boulder County’s population is Black, and one in three Black men in the U.S. is incarcerated.

“I hated it. I hated it. I can’t tell you how much I hated it,” Lindsey said of the incarceration rates of black men in the United States.

Lindsey added that Boulder County can be “very isolating” for people of color.

“That’s why you have to work harder… It doesn’t mean you can’t get through it, it just means you have to be relentless. You must be consistent. You have to believe in who you are and that is greatness. “You are a king,” Lindsey said.

Lindsey stated that this was a case of self-defense and agreed with Barry that Lucas was afraid during the shooting.

During his testimony, Barry recalled hearing Lucas’ principal tell him when he was in kindergarten that he would never be anything but a jailbird like his father. When confronting his manager, Barry said Lucas was not receiving the comfort and support he deserved at the time.

“I would have been there for him at that moment. “He was destined for greatness, in his heart, he was destined for greatness,” Barry said. “When you hear that when you’re 5 years old, it stays with you. Hearing that stays with me over and over again.”

While Lucas was looking for a job, Barry said he would be willing to take a pay cut so he could employ him at his boxing gym, The Corner Boxing Club.

“I think he could be the heart of his community if they were willing to give him a chance,” Cole said.

Before sentencing, Lucas thanked everyone who helped him.

“I spent many nights in my cell thinking that I wouldn’t be able to see my family and the people I loved for a while… Thank you. I want to apologize to the public and anyone I may have intimidated or influenced. “I’m sorry, but thank you,” Lucas said.

According to an arrest affidavit, while investigating a disturbing call in University Hill on Oct. 2, 2022, police heard a witness call 911 about a large brawl nearby, possibly involving firearms.

In a video showing the fight, a man wearing a dark shirt and khaki pants can be seen being punched and kicked by two other men. Video footage later showed one of the men yelling at Lucas. The affidavit stated that the two began to come to blows after Lucas got into a yellow vehicle parked nearby and returned with a rifle.

Responding Boulder police officer Eric Stephens saw Lucas fire his gun, causing Stephens to shoot Lucas.

According to body camera video, Lucas dropped his gun and began running before Stephens told him to stop. While officers were taking Lucas into custody, police believed someone else fired four shots in their direction, based on the witness’ statement and where the shots were coming from.

A man was initially arrested alongside Lucas, but charges were dropped after video evidence showed he was not the attacker.