Ashanti Hendricks sentenced to 10 years in prison after Children's Hospital incident
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- He dropped his baby in the hospital before running from police and putting Children's Hospital on lock down. Now, he'll serve 5 years in prison for those actions. But he'll be in prison twice as long before getting his freedom.
Ashanti Hendricks terrified the staff, patients, visitors and others at Children's Hospital back in November of 2013. The hospital was put on lock down after officers responded to a citizens complaint that Hendricks was in the hospital with a gun and had an outstanding warrant.
In court on Friday, he apologized for his actions.
"There won't be a day in my life when I won't regret the stupid decision that I made," said Hendricks.
Officers approached him in a neonatal intensive care unit holding his child.
"The defendant gets up and charges at the officers. When the defendant was on the futon or on the couch he had the baby in his arms. By the time he reached the officers and tried to push back, he no longer had the baby in his arms," said Prosecutor, Karen Loebel.
Hendricks got past the officers injuring the shoulder of one of them.
"He remains on limited duty and has had, I believe, at least one surgery and I think a second one may be contemplated," said Loebel.
"My interaction with Mr. Hendricks was the first time a subject ever pulled out a handgun while attempting to flee. He didn't just drop the gun and run -- he produced the handgun and confronted us with it," said Officer Matthew Thompson.
The baby is said to have recovered from the ordeal. The child's mother spoke on Hendricks' behalf.
"It's been a picture painted of him that he's just a terrible guy and that's not who he is. He is a good father. He's a good person. He's been hurt. He's been damaged. It's not his fault," said Robyn Austin, mother of baby.
The judge sentenced Hendricks to 5 years in prison and 3 years of extended supervision.
The 5 year sentence will run consecutively with an earlier, unrelated 5 year sentence for possession of a firearm by a felon.
That gives him a total of 10 years in prison and 7 years of extended supervision.