A story out of Los Angeles is making waves on social media – and likely in LA, too – after an ex-con who was found guilty of shooting at and striking a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) helicopter last year was handed a relatively light sentence by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mildred Escobedo.
And her reasoning for going easy on him was absolutely bonkers.
Douglas Byers, 62, was convicted in March on two counts of assault on a peace officer and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon after using an AR-15-style rifle to shoot at the LAPD helicopter on Aug. 15, 2025. There were two officers aboard at the time, and it subsequently had to make an emergency landing. Despite Byers' best efforts, the officers were not hurt.
According to one report about the shooting, police responded to 911 calls from residents who reported hearing gunfire coming from the backyard of the home Byers shared with his mother.
When officers entered the backyard, they found an AR-15 assault rifle, two Airsoft replica rifles and roughly 18 spent shells, according to a search warrant affidavit. Byers was arrested on suspicion of negligent discharge of a firearm, authorities said. Hours later, an inspection of a helicopter that responded to the shooting call at Byers’ home revealed a bullet had pierced the tail. The impact almost caused severe damage to the systems that allow the pilot to control the aircraft, Siddall said. “If that shot had just been a little bit further down, that aircraft would have fallen,” Siddall said during his opening argument.
Which leads us to Byers' sentencing on Tuesday, where Judge Escobedo rejected the prosecutor's recommendation that Byers, who had multiple prior felony convictions and was not allowed to own a firearm, be sentenced to 41 years in prison. Escobedo, instead, gave him 13 years, and "reasoned" that had been "friendly" and "respectful" in court when acting as his own attorney.
Fox News' Bill Melugin shared news of the insane sentencing over on X.
An ex con convicted of using an AR-15 to shoot and hit a LAPD helicopter w/ two officers in it last year has been sentenced to just under 13 years in prison instead of 41 years asked for by the prosecution after the judge said the defendant had acted friendly during the trial,…
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) August 12, 2026
An ex con convicted of using an AR-15 to shoot and hit a LAPD helicopter w/ two officers in it last year has been sentenced to just under 13 years in prison instead of 41 years asked for by the prosecution after the judge said the defendant had acted friendly during the trial, had a substance abuse problem, and said she had the discretion to not impose the gun enhancements the jury had found true against him.
You can't make it up. Here's more about Escobedo's sentencing explanation:
The judge noted that the conduct was “extremely dangerous” and “does require prison time,” but said the crime seemed connected to the defendant’s substance abuse and added that he had been respectful and friendly while acting as his own attorney during the trial. Escobedo said she had the discretion not to impose the gun enhancements that were found true by jurors in March.
You know who would have benefited greatly from some of Byers' friendliness? The two cops he tried to blow out of the sky.
The criminal justice system is supposed to weigh the crime, the danger to the public, the defendant’s history, and the jury’s findings – not whether the guy who nearly brought down a police helicopter charmed the judge.
Byers got lucky once when that bullet missed the helicopter’s critical controls and again when he landed in Judge Mildred Escobedo’s courtroom.
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