JACKSON COUNTY — A Salina, Kansas man was sentenced Friday in Jackson County to 27-and-a-half years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for charges related to the shooting of Carbondale Police Officer Trey Harris on July 31, 2016.

Jackson County State’s Attorney Michael Carr says 24-year-old Alex B. Karcher will also serve a three-year period of mandatory supervised release once he is released from prison. He was also ordered to serve 30 months of conditional discharge following his release from prison.

Carr says on Nov. 13, 2018, Karcher entered an open plea of guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to deliver more than 5,000 grams of a substance containing cannabis – a Class 1 felony, aggravated battery to a police officer – a Class X felony, and aggravated discharge of a firearm – a Class X felony.

Karcher admitted that he and others conspired to possess with the intent to deliver the illegal drug in Jackson and Williamson counties from December 2014 through Aug. 2, 2016. He further admitted that on or about July 31, 2016, he and other co-conspirators came to Carbondale to collect a debt from a previous cannabis deal.

During that deal shots were fired in the area of the 700 block of North Robert A. Stalls Avenue. Police patrolling the area heard the shots and saw a vehicle Karcher was a passenger in speed away from the scene. During the pursuit Karcher fired a gun seven times at the pursuing police car as the vehicles traveled on Dillinger Road north of Carbondale. One of those shots struck Officer Trey Harris in the eye thereby causing great bodily harm.