Bradbury sentences Wood to 30 years

Douglas C. Wood at his sentencing Thursday.

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Story Published: Feb 6, 2009 at 10:46 PM PDT

Story Updated: Feb 7, 2009 at 12:08 PM PDT

By Hayley Guenthner

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GRANGEVILLE – A Kamiah man will spend the next 30 years behind bars.

In Second District Court Thursday, Judge John Bradbury sentenced 41-year-old Douglas C. Wood to the 30 year fixed sentence and ordered him to pay restitution for shooting an Idaho County deputy and attempting to shoot an Idaho County jailer.

Wood pleaded guilty in October to battery with intent to commit a serious felony on a peace officer and assault with intent to commit a serious felony on a peace officer in connection with the December 5, 2007 shooting of Idaho County Chief Deputy Jim Gorges at Gorges’ home and the attempted shooting of Deputy Rick Shira on April 9, 2008 at St. Mary's Hospital in Cottonwood.

Wood shot Gorges in the arm after charging into Gorges’ home. Gorges returned fire, hitting Wood in the chest and neck. Gorge's wife Teresa, along with their two children, were inside the home during the attack. She spoke at Thursday’s sentencing.

"I had to hear guns fired inside my home and rush around the corner to see my husband bleeding, wrestling an unknown person, my children rushing from the room on their father's order at five and seven years of age, having just seen their father shot. It's an experience I will have to remember forever," she said

Testimony was also presented in the attempted shooting of Chief Jailer Rick Shira. Shira was guarding Wood at St. Mary's Hospital while Wood was treated for chest pain and severe headaches.

Shira told the court that at around 1 in the morning, Wood slugged him in the head, viciously bit him, and pulled the trigger on his unloaded gun.

"For some reason earlier when I was going into the hospital, I had a real strong feeling to unload my pistol," said Shira.

Prosecutor Joe Wright recommended the maximum penalties, while Wood's defense attorney Gregory Dickison asked Bradbury for a light sentence, saying rehabilitation was possible.

Bradbury said he empathized with the fact that Wood is a paranoid schizophrenic.

"You're not responsible for the chemical imbalance in your brain, which you suffer. I think Idaho's society is responsible for the fact that people like you don't get sent to facilities that don't exist," said Bradbury.

Bradbury said he wished more help was available for mental health cases like Wood’s, but says he gave the 30 year sentence for each charge, to run concurrently, to protect society.

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