PHOENIX – A former Phoenix police officer has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a deal that spares him another trial on charges of second-degree murder and animal cruelty.
Richard Chrisman was convicted of assault in September, but the jury failed to reach verdicts on the other counts.
Under the deal with prosecutors, Chrisman pleaded guilty Wednesday to the lesser offense of manslaughter and faces seven to 14 years in prison.
Sentencing for the assault conviction and the manslaughter charge is set for Dec. 20. He faces five to 15 years in prison for the assault, but both sentences will run concurrently.
Chrisman was charged after he shot and killed an unarmed man and his dog during a 2010 domestic violence call. He says it was self-defense, but his partner testified Chrisman was unprovoked.
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