Injured Cop Blasts Shooter's Minimum Sentence, Demands Justice

By Christy Strawser

DETROIT (Talk Radio 1270) How many years in prison does an undisputed cop shooter with a long criminal history deserve? More than he got.

That's according to Detroit police officer Art Matthews, 40, who visited the Charlie Langton 1270 Talk Radio morning show Thursday to discuss the shooting one year ago that left him with permanent injuries. Matthews' shooter Christopher Procter, 25, was sentenced this week by Wayne Circuit Judge Ulysses Boykin to 14-25 years behind bars.

The charges carried a possible penalty of life in prison. Boykin noted during sentencing that Proctor's family had sent letters supporting him.

"It's a slap in the face, we're not talking about securities fraud, we're not talking about writing bad checks, we're not talking about evading child support, we're talking about murder, he tried to kill me," Matthews said, adding, "He'd already been acquitted in two murders and another shooting, and was on federal probation."

Proctor was given the minimum sentencing guidelines, Matthews said, after he was caught and charged with approaching the off-duty officer at a Detroit gas station May 6, 2011, pointing a gun at his head, demanding money, then opening fire.

"All I'll say is this... Based on repetition, the violence and the frequency of it, I don't think Mr. Proctor could be rehabilitated in such a short time," Matthews said.

He added that he was shot the same day Detroit officer Brian Huff was shot and killed two years before on a police call. Huff's killer Jason Gibson, who had a long criminal history, got life behind bars. "(But) had the judicial system dealt with him properly, he never would have had the opportunity," Matthews said.

In his own case, Matthews said he never doubted Proctor wanted to kill him.

The two encountered each other at 2:30 a.m. at a Marathon gas station where Matthews stopped to fill up after his shift. Proctor was there talking to another guy, and the two left.

"I paid for my gas, came back out, and as I was walking out, he was walking (back) in," Matthews said.

Then this happened: "He put the gun to my right temple, told me to give up everything in my pockets," Matthews said. "He got nervous, he told me don't move, he said if I reached up to grab his gun, he was going to shoot me in the face ... With those kind of options I knew I was going to get shot anyway. I heard a voice, I knew it was God, saying he's going to shoot you, you'll be hit, but you won't be hurt."

Matthews managed to grab Proctor's gun and point it down while the gunman squeezed off rounds. Injured, Matthews grabbed his own gun in the melee and hit Proctor, who fled.

"'I'm a police officer, what are you doing?'" said Matthews, who was in street clothes, before Proctor opened fire.

Matthews, a Desert Storm veteran who's been on the Detroit PD for 19 years, said he was so angry he didn't feel pain. Later, he learned he'd been shot five times, including hits to the side and legs.

The fifth bullet struck his service revolver, while it was still strapped on. The gun deflected the bullet slightly, "which saved my life," Matthews said, adding, "I still have the bullet casing in my leg."

"I couldn't imagine my kids getting married, any of that, and me not being there," Matthews said.

In the heat of battle, Matthews, a 6 foot 4 inch-tall bodybuilder, managed to get out his pistol and shoot the perpetrator. Proctor went to the hospital for treatment, which is where police found him.

Caller Eric from Detroit agreed Proctor deserved more time behind bars. "People may say 'an officer got shot and he's OK now, he's not OK, his leg's never going to be OK, it's never to be like it was before ... Absolutely it should be more. The guy's going to go to prison, get out, and do the same thing."

Matthews said he will go back to active duty if it's possible with his injuries, but he thinks local judges need to adopt a stronger stance against anyone who shoots a cop.

Is he bitter about what happened in his case? "I have particular feeling about it, yes," Matthews said. 'He didn't operate alone. There was a second shooter. Sweeten the pot to make him give up his accomplice ... Where does the precedence of 'no, not here' get set... When do you say 'OK, we're done?'"