PHOENIX (CBS5) -
A former Phoenix police officer has been sentenced
to seven years in prison, following a plea deal that allowed him to plead
guilty to manslaughter in the shooting death of an unarmed suspect.
Judge Warren Granville sentenced Richard Chrisman
Friday afternoon in Maricopa County court on both manslaughter and assault
charges.
Chrisman was charged after he shot and killed
28-year-old Daniel Rodriguez and his dog in October 2010 during a domestic
violence call. Rodriguez was not armed.
Chrisman was found guilty of assault in September,
but the jury couldn't reach verdicts on murder and animal cruelty charges. He
was set to be re-tried on those charges in January.
Chrisman took a plea deal last week to avoid
another murder trial.
He faced up to 14 years in prison for manslaughter.