NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — A North Platte man who shot a 12-year-old and later exchanged gunfire with law enforcement during a high-speed chase has been sentenced to decades in prison.
Brandon Girkin, 39, was sentenced in Lincoln County District Court to 38 to 58 years for use of a firearm to commit a felony, second-degree assault, and two counts of attempted first-degree assault on a peace officer.
Girkin previously pleaded no contest to the charges. As part of a plea agreement, five other counts were dismissed.
According to court records, the incident began in December when Girkin entered a North Platte home without permission and shot a 12-year-old boy, injuring the child’s shoulder. A series of shootouts with law enforcement followed during a high-speed pursuit.
Girkin was ultimately arrested after crashing off the road roughly 10 miles north of North Platte.