Man found guilty of attempted murder in 2021 shooting of Phoenix police officer Tyler Moldovan

A jury on Thursday found a man guilty on all counts, including attempted first-degree murder, in connection to the near-fatal 2021 shooting of Phoenix police officer Tyler Moldovan.

Essa Williams was convicted after a trial, Maricopa County Superior Court officials said.

Moldovan survived being shot eight times, including in the head, while on duty nearly five years ago.

The verdict comes after a multi-week trial where prosecutors laid out the details of the Dec. 14, 2021, shooting near 19th Avenue and Camelback Road.

Moldovan, who was just nine months into his career at the time of the shooting, was responding alongside his partner, Officer Zachary Johnson, to calls reporting vehicles performing burnouts and driving erratically in the area.

When officers arrived at a nearby apartment complex to locate a matching vehicle, Moldovan discovered Williams hiding behind a short patio wall. Williams then opened fire at close range.

Moldovan testified last month about the catastrophic injuries he sustained during the attack. The gunshots caused traumatic injuries to his head, shoulder, thumb, wrist, hip and legs.

He spent months in the hospital and underwent extensive physical rehabilitation following the shooting.

Williams now faces the possibility of decades behind bars. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

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