SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y. (PIX11) -- With his wife at his side, Suffolk County Police Officer Michael La Fauci walked haltingly into Suffolk County Court in Riverhead a little more than a year after being shot while pursuing a robbery suspect.
He came face to face with the man who almost killed him.
Janell Funderburke who pleaded guilty last month, was sentenced to 25 years to life by Judge Anthony Senft who called him, "An absolute menace and a wannabe thug who has offered nothing positive to society."
You have only hurt the community and society," the judge added.
Standing next to his lawyer, Funderburke hoped for forgiveness, "I am truly sorry for my actions," he said, adding, "Thank god he wasn't killed. I'm very sorry for the trouble I caused. My hopes and prayers are that the officer will forgive me."
That wasn't happening. In an emotional statement, Officer La Fauci said, "25 years to life may sound like a lot of time to some people. However, to me, no amount of time will create forgiveness or even will be able to make up for what you did to me. My life has forever changed and not in a good way. I hope you spend the rest of your life behind bars and think every day about what you did to put yourself there."
Furderburke's attorney, Christopher Cassar, claimed the odds were stacked against his client. "The system failed my client. He grew up in a single family. His father was in jail. His brother was in jail. There were red flags all along that were issues with him and they weren't addressed."
Police officials however claimed it was the New York legislature's lenient bail laws that failed Officer La Fauci. Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rob Waring declared, "He should have been in jail. He shouldn't have been out on the street to shoot Officer La Fauci. He was out on the street because that crime was non-bail eligible, meaning our prosecutors could not even ask that he remain in jail."
Suffolk County PBA President Lou Civello used the opportunity to warn, "If you attempt to kill a cop in Suffolk County, you will meet with the harshest of penalties and you will forfeit the better part of your own life."
Officer La Fauci left court pleased that this chapter in his life is over, but said he still has to live with the physical and mental pain the shooting has caused. But his doctors maintain that considering the damage the shooting caused, he's very lucky to be alive.
Trauma surgeon Dr. James Vosswinkle was quite clear about that. "To be quite honest," he declared, "He's not dead. He's a miracle, really is."
As stiff as the sentence was, it could have been more severe had Funderburke not taken the guilty plea. Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said he was pleased with the 25 year minimum sentence noting that it reflected the gravity of the defendant's action.
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