Man sentenced for shooting officer at Church of the Highlands: ‘Lord, please forgive me’
Jahmari Wright was 16 years old when he shot Det. John Finke, who was working security at Church of the Highlands in Woodlawn.
Mason Reed 
A somber atmosphere filled a Jefferson County courtroom this Tuesday as a 22-year-old man received his prison sentence for a 2020 shooting that left a Birmingham police officer critically wounded.
Back in January 2020, Jahmari Wright was 16 years old when he shot Det. John Finke, who was working security at the Church of the Highlands in Woodlawn. The incident unfolded on the morning of Sunday, Jan. 26, when Finke approached two robbery suspects: Wright and 31-year-old Chris Burke.
Finke, who was wearing his uniform but lacked a protective vest, was struck multiple times during the encounter. Prosecutors noted that Wright, who lives with an intellectual disability and was previously deemed incompetent to stand trial, entered a guilty plea in March for attempted murder, two counts of robbery, and discharging a firearm into an unoccupied vehicle. Burke, who provided the weapon, pleaded guilty in 2022 to robbery charges and has already been released from prison.
An emotional confrontation
During Tuesday's proceedings, Det. Finke delivered a powerful victim impact statement before Judge Stephen Wallace. Finke, who remains active on the force, described how the suspects had targeted two juveniles for their cell phones before he intervened. Finke recalled that Wright opened fire immediately, later circling a truck to shoot the officer in the back while he lay injured on the ground.
The shooting resulted in the loss of two of Finke's organs and significant damage to his pancreas. Despite the severity of his injuries, Finke shared that the ordeal led him to be baptized. In a moment of grace, Finke looked at Wright and stated, "It takes every ounce of me, but I forgive you. But you still have to pay the consequences."
Wright, showing visible emotion, addressed the detective directly: "Detective Finke, I’m truly sorry for the pain I’ve put you through. Lord, please forgive me. That’s all I want is forgiveness."
Sentencing and defense
Judge Wallace sentenced Wright to 20 years on the attempted murder and robbery convictions, and 10 years for the discharging charge, with all terms to be served concurrently. While the prosecution pushed for at least 25 years, the defense emphasized Wright's intellectual challenges and a lack of disciplinary issues during his six-plus years in the Jefferson County Jail.
Thomas Lewis, who operated an educational nonprofit in Ensley, testified that Wright was a dedicated, well-behaved student before the pandemic. Defense attorney John Lentine argued against sending Wright to state prison, proposing a re-entry facility instead, noting that Wright has spent his formative years incarcerated.
Judge Wallace acknowledged the complexity of the case, calling it a "difficult situation" while emphasizing that no sentence could fully undo the harm caused. The courtroom was filled with local law enforcement, underscoring the severity of the attack on one of their own.
