BY STEVE KEMME
The Cincinnati Enquirer
HAMILTON -- A man who struck several police cruisers during a wild, two-county car chase in February was sentenced Thursday to 43 years in prison.
Scott A. Jones and his attorney, Daniel Hurr, appeared stunned after Judge Anthony Valen of Butler County Common Pleas Court handed out the maximum sentence for an incident in which the defense contended that no one had been seriously injured.
"You placed the lives of innocent citizens and police officers in danger," the judge told Mr. Jones, 27, of Hamilton. "You could have killed somebody."
Mr. Hurr said he will appeal the sentence, but declined to comment further.
Mr. Jones was convicted Sept. 3 of four counts of felonious assault against police officers, aggravated vehicular assault and failure to comply with an order or a signal of a police officer.
Before the sentencing, Mr. Hurr said that his client acted out of fear, not malice.
"His actions that night were irresponsible, but I believe he did it out of fear of the officers," he said.
