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Man found guilty of trying to murder cops By Jessica Smith Moises Sanchez-Llamas� decision to fire a handgun at two Medford police officers, injuring one, will put him in prison for up to 25 years. After a four-day trial and six hours of deliberation, a Jackson County jury on Tuesday found Sanchez-Llamas guilty of attempted aggravated murder, attempted murder and first-degree assault, among other charges. Defense attorney Bob Abel said he is disappointed with the verdict because the jury appeared to decide that Sanchez-Llamas intended to kill someone when he fired a .357-caliber handgun during a brief shootout with police in December 1999. Sanchez-Llamas was charged with two counts of attempted aggravated murder for shooting at officers Mike Strouse and Scott Clauson, who was injured in the shooting. After deliberating Monday night and Tuesday morning, the jury convicted Sanchez-Llamas of attempted aggravated murder for firing at Strouse but found him guilty of a reduced charge, attempted murder, for shooting Clauson. "The one reduction to attempted murder was based on the fact that (Sanchez-Llamas) didn�t know (Clauson) was a police officer," Abel said. "So I don�t know how count two (for shooting at Strouse) came out the way it did." For very different reasons, Clauson said he also was unhappy about the conviction for attempted murder. "To be honest, I was a little disappointed in that charge," said Clauson, who is back to active duty at the police department but still recovering from fractures to his right femur. "But, overall, I think that he was convicted on most of the charges shows the facts came out in support of the case," Clauson said. Strouse could not be reached for comment. Jackson County District Attorney Mark Huddleston, who prosecuted the case, suggested the jury may have been unable to determine whether Sanchez-Llamas knew he was firing at police when he shot Clauson. It�s likely that as the gun battle continued, however, Sanchez-Llamas realized Strouse was an officer. "Quite frankly, I think this is a good verdict," said Huddleston. "I hope that knowing he (Sanchez-Llamas) has been held accountable ... will allow these folks to get beyond it." Huddleston said Sanchez-Llamas could be sentenced to 25 years in prison under the state�s mandatory-minimum sentencing guidelines. Sentencing is scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday. In addition to the convictions on the more serious charges, the jury found Sanchez-Llamas guilty of menacing, unlawful possession of a short-barreled shotgun, two counts first-degree burglary and two counts each unlawful use and possession of a weapon. The jury did not find Sanchez-Llamas guilty of resisting arrest. Reach reporter Jessica Smith at 776-4481, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.