A 25-year-old Anchorage man was sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison for trying to kill a police officer responding to a domestic violence call, according to Anchorage District Attorney Clint Campion.
Frank Sambrano was sentenced on charges of first-degree attempted murder, first-degree attempted assault, harassment and resisting arrest.
Sambrano's trial in January lasted six days.
The charges stem from a June 20, 2014 incident when police were called to a home because Sambrano allegedly punched his uncle in the face, Campion said.
An officer told Sambrano to go for a walk to "cool off," but he refused, prosecutors said. The officer decided to arrest Sambrano for disorderly conduct, and the situation escalated, they said.
"Sambrano was asked to put his hands behind his back, but he responded by pulling out a knife with a six-inch-long blade," Campion said.
He swung the knife at the officer's head and neck, but the officer caught Sambrano's arm and the knife fell to the ground. The officer avoided injury, but Sambrano slashed his uniform.
"We recognized that there weren't any injuries suffered by the officer, but we focused on the intent. But for the officer being alert, this could have been much worse, and the jury believed it could have been much worse," Campion said.
According to the state, Superior Court Judge Philip Volland noted that Sambrano has two felony convictions in California, as well as 19 prior misdemeanor convictions including seven assault convictions. Three of Sambrano's assault convictions were on family members and three were on law enforcement officers, Campion said.
Volland imposed 10 years of probation, but the district attorney said supervision hasn't worked in the past.
"It's impossible to deter him," Campion said.