Essa Williams, convicted of trying to kill Phoenix police officer Tyler Moldovan in a December 2021 shooting, was sentenced on October 27 to two life terms plus 25 years in prison, Maricopa County prosecutors and local outlets reported.
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office announced the sentence and credited prosecutors Linda Garcia and Evelyn Hernandez. County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said she was among the prosecutors who went to the scene the night of the shooting.
The shooting
On December 14, 2021, Moldovan, then 22 and nine months into his career, and his partner, Officer Zachary Johnson, answered a call near Camelback Road about cars doing burnouts, KTAR reported. Prosecutors say Williams was hiding behind a half wall on the patio of an apartment he did not live in.
As Moldovan ordered him to show his hands, Williams fired 15 rounds, including several after the officer was down and unconscious, according to the county attorney's office. Prosecutors said he then jumped the patio wall and tried to grab Moldovan's gun. Moldovan was hit eight times, including once in the head, and spent months in the hospital and in rehabilitation.
The verdict and the sentence
In August, a jury convicted Williams of attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault against Moldovan, aggravated assault against Johnson and two counts of misconduct involving weapons. Deliberations took less than an hour, AZFamily reported. Williams later waived a separate jury hearing on aggravating factors.
At the time of the shooting Williams was a parolee with nine prior felony convictions and was barred from having a gun, AZFamily reported. His mother and girlfriend later pleaded guilty to supplying him with guns, though none of those guns was used in the shooting.
What was said in court
Moldovan told the court "the burden is so heavy" and "the problems are so big," according to AZFamily, and he asked that Williams spend the rest of his life in prison. His wife, Chelsea Moldovan, said, "He deserves the maximum time because our life sentence started the minute he raised his gun."
Williams told the court, "I am sorry all of this happened." He also claimed self-defense, saying, "I watched him reach for his weapon and me to defend my life," and argued that police "created the whole situation," AZFamily reported.
Speaking of Williams, Mitchell said, "In retrospect, no. He should not have been on the streets." Phoenix Police Chief Matt Giordano said in the county attorney's release, "Today, the man responsible is finally facing the consequences of his actions, and justice has been served."
The newsroom's analysis: the numbers in the case
Fifteen rounds fired and eight hits means more than half the shots struck Moldovan, from what prosecutors described as close range, and several came after he was already unconscious. That fact went to intent, the central element of attempted first-degree murder.
The release date is less clear than the headline. AZFamily and KTAR's story text say Williams will not be eligible for parole or release for 25 years. KTAR's own headline says at least 50 years. The county attorney's release does not address it. If the 25 year figure is correct and runs from the date of the shooting, the earliest possible date would be around December 2046. If it runs from the sentencing date, around October 2051. A 50 year minimum would push it past 2071. Two life terms make release far from automatic in any case.
The reports also differ on the location. The county attorney's office places the apartment complex near 15th Avenue and Camelback Road, while KTAR and AZFamily say 19th Avenue.
Timeline
December 14, 2021: Moldovan is shot.
2023: Williams's mother and girlfriend plead guilty in the gun supply case, according to AZFamily.
August 2026: Jury convicts Williams on all counts.
October 27, 2026: Two life sentences plus 25 years.
Moldovan survived. Others have not, as in the Alabama case where Brian Martin was sentenced to death for killing Sergeant Nick Risner. Police shootings also draw legal scrutiny in the other direction, as in the Mississippi case where the officer who shot a 1-year-old resigned after the state ruled the force justified. Here, a jury rejected Williams's self-defense story in under an hour.
Two Taps News stories summarize reporting and the analysis discussed on Two Taps and Friends. They are not legal advice. Read our standards.
