Gunman who shot Phoenix officer Tyler Moldovan gets life, 50 years minimum

Essa Williams, who was convicted of trying to kill Phoenix police Officer Tyler Moldovan, was sentenced Tuesday to two life sentences in prison.

Williams will not be eligible for release for 25 years.

Moldovan addressed the court before the sentence was handed down, according to ABC15.

Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, who said she was one of the prosecutors who responded to the scene the morning of the shooting, called Moldovan’s survival remarkable.

“It is amazing that he was not killed,” Mitchell said at a news conference after the hearing. “I’m so grateful that he was not, but the level of violence that Mr. Williams used against him was astounding.”

She said Williams, who was on probation for felonies at the time, should not have been free.

“Obviously, in retrospect, no, he should not have been on the streets,” Mitchell said to reporters.

‘Violence committed against police officers will never be accepted’

Phoenix police Chief Matthew Giordano said the sentence sends a message.

“I think the judge set a very high bar today with the sentence and sent a clear message to the criminal element that if they choose to shoot a police officer or exact violence against police officers, they will be held accountable,” Giordano said.

Giordano, who became chief after the shooting, said he has watched Moldovan’s recovery up close.

“I watched him ascend stairs, which they told him he would never do again. It’s amazing,” he said.

Williams was found guilty in August of attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer and aggravated assault for the Dec. 14, 2021, shooting near 19th Avenue and Camelback Road. A jury also convicted him of aggravated assault against Moldovan’s partner, Officer Zachary Johnson.

Moldovan, then nine months into his career, and Johnson were responding to reports of cars doing burnouts and driving erratically when they went to a nearby apartment complex to look for a matching vehicle. Moldovan found Williams hiding behind a short patio wall, and Williams opened fire at close range.

Moldovan was shot eight times, including in the head. He spent months in the hospital and went through extensive rehabilitation.

Williams could not legally have a gun because of prior felony convictions.

Three people, including his mother, pleaded guilty in 2023 to federal charges related to illegally providing him with firearms, though those guns were not used in the shooting.

Related

2 caregivers arrested in Goodyear for allegedly neglecting, abusing 2 childrenFormer Cottonwood teacher pleads guilty in sex crimes case involving hidden cameraEx-Prescott teacher pleads guilty in child exploitation caseAuthorities say woman found in Mexico is not Arizonan Shayna Feinman, who went missing in 2024 and is presumed deadMesa police officers shoot, kill teen who tried to flee during traffic stopBrothers stab each other after fight escalates in west Phoenix