Ex-Mount Rainier policeman apologizes to victim's family, asks for forgiveness after off-duty shooting, sex offense
A former Mount Rainier police officer of the year who pleaded guilty to the July 2 shooting of a man he tried to force to engage in sexual activity will serve 10 years in prison.
Prince George's County Circuit Court Judge Crystal Mittelstaedt sentenced Gene Gillette of Capitol Heights on Wednesday to 10 years in prison plus five years of supervised probation and 15 years on the Maryland sex offender registry.
Gillette, 27, pleaded guilty in November to attempted second-degree murder, fourth-degree sex offense and using a handgun to commit a crime after a July 2 incident where he picked up a 20-year-old man at a Capitol Heights Shell gas station while off duty, drove him to Gillette's Capitol Heights home and tried to perform oral sex on the man without his consent, according to the state prosecution.
The man choked Gillette and then tried to flee in Gillette's vehicle, prompting Gillette to fire his police-issued weapon and strike the man six times, according to the state prosecution.
Gillette initially told police that he fired his weapon because he was being carjacked, according to the state prosecution.
Gillette asked the victim, who was in court seated next to his family, to please forgive him and that the incident has changed his life "drastically." Gillette thanked his family for their support and said that while the media portrayed him as a "horrible person," he was thankful his family knew he wasn't.
Gillette also apologized to the city of Mount Rainier, looking out at fellow officers in the courtroom, because he said he was known as the city's "golden child." Gillette was named the city's Officer of the Year in 2009 and 2010.
"Please let them know that I'm sorry and I'm doing well and I pray for them every day and I pray for you every day," Gillette said.
Before the sentencing, the victim's sister-in-law testified that he was once carefree with "no limitations" but began to suffer nightmares after the shooting and continues to suffer physical pain. She said on a good day it could just be shoulder pain and a bad day it could be "his entire body."
The victim's sister-in-law said he has lost his trust in police.
"We've all felt as though we can't trust law enforcement like we used to," the sister-in-law said of her family.
Prior to the sentencing, Gillette's defense attorney, William C. Brennan Jr., emphasized the support Gillette has received from family and friends in the form of 18 letters to the court testifying to his character such as his devotion to his grandmother and his role as a mentor to other police officers.
Brennan said Gillette’s listing on the sex offender registry would greatly impact his ability to be employed after his release and that he wouldn't be recognized for good behavior if he's placed in protective custody while jailed. Brennan said because Gillette was a police officer, a correctional institution cannot risk putting him with the general prison population because he could be retaliated against.
Mount Rainier Police Chief Michael Scott said in a Tuesday email to The Gazette that the police department had no additional comment regarding Gillette.
"We continue to trust the State's Attorney and her staff and the court system to ensure that justice is done for all concerned in this tragic and unfortunate series of events," Scott wrote.