COLUMBUS, Ohio — Daveonte Dixon, 23, was sentenced Monday, August 17, 2026, to a minimum of 78 years in prison for shooting two Mifflin Township police officers and related offenses.
Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Carl Aveni imposed a term of 67 to 72½ years for one count of attempted murder and five counts of felonious assault, all first-degree felonies with firearm and other specifications. Dixon is not eligible for early release or parole on those charges. Judge Kim Brown then ordered an additional consecutive sentence of 11 to 16½ years for a prior aggravated burglary conviction for which Dixon was on probation at the time of the shootings. The combined minimum term means Dixon, who was born in 2003, would first become eligible for release around age 101.
Dixon pleaded guilty in June 2026 to the six felony counts stemming from the May 28, 2025, shooting of the two officers and the May 30, 2025, incident in which he fired at Franklin County Sheriff’s deputies.
On May 28, 2025, Mifflin Township officers conducted a traffic stop near the intersection of Perdue Avenue and Mecca Road. Dixon, a passenger in the vehicle and then on probation, fled on foot. As officers pursued him, he fired multiple shots, striking both. One officer was hit nine times, with injuries that came close to major arteries and the heart. The other sustained injuries to the hand and arm that caused permanent damage. Both officers were hospitalized and later released. They survived and have continued recovering.
Dixon remained at large for about two days with assistance from others. On May 30, 2025, authorities located him at an apartment on Thelma Drive in Obetz. During the confrontation with Franklin County Sheriff’s SWAT deputies, he fired rounds from a rifle toward officers. After the shooting stopped, deputies entered and found Dixon with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition, treated for weeks under guard, and later booked into the Franklin County jail, where he has remained held without bond. He appeared in court for the plea and sentencing and made a statement acknowledging responsibility.
Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Shayla Favor said in a statement: “Today’s sentencing is an important reminder that violence against the men and women who protect our communities will not be tolerated.” Mifflin Township Interim Police Chief Brooke Darnell noted the impact on the small department and the ongoing recovery of the officers and their families. Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin, Prosecutor Favor, and Interim Chief Darnell spoke publicly after the sentencing.
Prosecutors had presented evidence at sentencing that included drawings found in Dixon’s jail cell that they argued showed a lack of genuine remorse. Dixon told the court he took ownership of his actions and hoped to be seen differently one day.
Multiple other individuals were charged in connection with helping Dixon evade capture; most faced obstructing justice counts. The case was handled in Franklin County Common Pleas Court under Ohio law governing felonious assault on peace officers, attempted murder, firearm specifications, and consecutive sentencing for probation violations. Court records and official statements confirm the officers survived their injuries, and Dixon recovered sufficiently from his self-inflicted wound to stand trial proceedings and speak at sentencing.
