KOUNTZE, Texas — A Kentucky man has been sentenced to 99 years in state prison after being convicted in the beating of a Sour Lake Police officer on Memorial Day in 2019.
Bradley Joseph Pruitt, who was 45 at the time of the crime, was found guilty by a Hardin County jury on Thursday of aggravated assault of a public servant causing serious bodily injury.
In addition to his 99 year sentence, Pruitt is required to pay a $10,000 fine.
Pruitt was accused of beating Sour Lake officer Bill McKeon, Jr., 61, outside of a convenience store in Sour Lake.
The trial was held in 356th District Court before Judge Steven Thomas in Kountze.
Pruitt, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, previously pleaded not guilty.
Pruitt was accused of assaulting McKeon before stealing his patrol car the evening of May 27, 2019. He was arrested the next day along Texas Highway 326 between Sour Lake and Kountze after leading police on an all-night manhunt.
The assault shook the community to the core. People in Sour Lake rallied around McKeon as he fought the long path to recovery.
Testimonies inside the court room
On Thursday, his ex-wife took the stand giving an emotional testimony about how this assault forever changed their lives and their relationship.
Officer Bill McKeon also faced Pruitt in court Thursday afternoon, describing in detail just how much the assault has changed his life.
Physically, the attack left McKeon with a broken jaw, busted sinus cavity, damage to his eye socket, back and frontal lobe of his brain.
Those injuries not only took a toll on McKeon, but those who cared for him as well. His now ex-wife was seen sobbing in court recounting how for days she had to watch him lay unconscious, not sure if he'd pull through. But the brain injury lead to devastating consequences, according to his ex-wife.
She says the pair divorced after his assault and testified that emotionally - McKeon changed.
Bill McKeon also took the stand.
Speaking out for the first time in court saying, "You stole my life and ability to enjoy what I loved most. You did what you wanted to – what you chose to. The man I was is gone. The man that I am now is disabled, frustrated and in emotional and physical pain. I will live with what you did to me for the rest of my life."
After McKeon’s testimony, Pruitt was heard saying, "I want to apologize," but the judge cut him off instructing him that it was not his time to talk.
Once all proceedings were finished, Pruitt was ushered out of the courtroom in handcuffs.
What happened that night is still a blur for McKeon, but investigators say he was attacked almost immediately after getting out of his patrol car. They say Pruitt brutally beat McKeon and left him for dead.
The vicious attack left McKeon with a broken jaw, busted sinus cavity and damage to his eye socket and vertebrae.
McKeon remained in critical condition for weeks, undergoing several surgeries for the traumatic head injuries.
Family and doctors said last year McKeon's recovery is nothing short of a miracle. Following his assault, he spent nine months in the hospital.
"I nearly died a couple times," McKeon said a year ago. "I don't recommend anybody to go through that."
GET NEWS & WEATHER ALERTS | Download the 12News App to your mobile device
This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.