Portage County: A Sergeant of Portage County Police Department received justice when a man who set the sergeant on fire was sentenced to jail this week.
On February, 14, 2019 three Sheriff units and two police officers were delivering felony warrants to individuals in the area when they ran across Jay Brannon, 45 of Atwater. Brannon during the exchange threw a canister of flammable liquid at the Sheriffs and lit it on fire. Several officers were hurt in the incident, including Portage County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jim Acklin who was burnt the worst receiving 2nd and 3rd degree burns on 20 percent of his body hospitalizing him.
Brannon was sentenced to 16 years for throwing a flammable liquid on Sgt. Acklin, on charges of attempted aggravated murder, a first-degree felony; aggravated arson, a first-degree felony; and felonious assault, a first-degree felony
“This has been a physical and emotional struggle for Sgt. Acklin and his family. he did retire after the incident and we were able to bring him back to work in a different capacity. We continue to hold him in our thoughts and prayers as he continues to heal.
On behalf of all at the Sheriffs Office… we thank everyone for the outpouring of support.”
