ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — A Pennsylvania man was found guilty on Wednesday for shooting at a St. Johns County deputy near a Ponte Vedra Publix in 2020, according to a release from the Seventh Judicial Circuit of Florida.
Following a three-day trial, a jury found Richard Bonsell, 32, guilty on charges of attempted second-degree murder of a law enforcement officer and discharging a firearm from a vehicle for an incident on April 22, 2020.
According to the release, a St. Johns County deputy was on patrol and spotted a stolen vehicle heading southbound on State Road A1A. The deputy followed the vehicle into a Publix parking lot and tried to initiate a traffic stop.
The release states that soon after the deputy turned on his emergency lights, Bonsell, who was driving the stolen vehicle, pulled out a shotgun and fired two shots at the deputy.
The deputy returned fire at Bonsell, "in fear for his life and the safety of those in the parking lot," the release states, and Bonsell then shot himself in the chin.
Bonsell recovered from his injuries at the hospital and was then arrested. The deputy was not hurt during the incident.
Bonsell's sentencing is set for Aug. 29, according to online court records.
