A Sunriver man accused of firing a high-powered rifle at the Deschutes County Jail in March, following the arrest of his father, was sentenced Monday to nearly six years in prison.
Following a plea deal, Nicholas Ryan Preston-Cooper, 26, was given 70 months for first-degree assault, 60 months for unlawful use of a weapon and 10 months for attempting to elude police. That’s according to Deschutes County Circuit Court records. The sentences will run concurrently, meaning Cooper will spend just shy of six years behind bars.
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The shooting incident happened March 2. The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office said at the time that investigators believed Cooper wanted to force a confrontation with law enforcement.
According to DCSO, deputies determined that Cooper drove the the parking lot across Highway 20 from the sheriff’s office and fired a single round from a high-powered rifle into the administrative entrance of the adult jail. The bullet came to a rest in the interior cinder block in the foyer. No sheriff’s office employee or civilian staff were present.
The shooting came hours after Bend Police arrested Cooper’s father, John Matthew Cooper, for allegedly attempting to lure a 17-year-old girl who was looking for work.
John Cooper eventually pleaded guilty to luring a minor. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail and ordered to register as a sex offender.
