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NILES — A Niles man who shot at a former co-worker at the Niles Speedway gas station last year was sentenced to prison Monday in Berrien County Trial Court at the Niles courthouse.

      Alonzo Dominic Davis, 40, of Niles, was found guilty of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and using a firearm in the commission of a felony after a March jury trial. He was found not guilty of assault with intent to murder and unarmed robbery.

      Monday, Davis was sentenced to 30 months to 90 months in prison and $258 in fines and costs on the possession of a firearm by a prohibited person charge and a mandatory consecutive two years in prison on the felony firearm charge. He has credit for 204 days on the felony firearm charge and must pay $68 on that charge.

      The incident occurred Nov. 18 outside the Speedway station at South 11th and Fort Streets in Niles Township.

      According to testimony at a November preliminary hearing, Davis confronted a former co-worker, Dontae Lavon Murphy, outside the gas station and the two struggled over Murphy’s gun. Davis is alleged to have taken the gun and shot at Murphy.

Murphy said the two were outside the truck initially and then he went back into his truck when Davis came up again and they wrestled over the gun Murphy had in the pocket of his hoodie. Davis got the gun and fired at Murphy and told police he would have fired again if it hadn’t jammed. Murphy went inside the gas station and the police were called.

Murphy was treated at South Bend Memorial Hospital for a gun shot wound while Davis was treated at Corewell Lakeland Hospital in Niles for the injuries he received.

Monday, defense attorney Carrie Briseno said Murphy should not be considered a victim in the case as the jury did not convict Davis of the assaultive crimes against Murphy. She said Davis did not fire the gun with the idea of hitting Murphy.

Assistant Prosecutor Myrene Koch said that while Davis didn’t bring the gun to the incident and that the gun was Murphy’s, Davis did go to the scene with the intent to scare Murphy. She said Murphy had a serious psychological injury as he thought he was going to die.

Berrien County Trial Court Judge Gordon Hosbein agreed with Briseno that Murphy couldn’t be called the victim as the jury didn’t convict Davis of assaultive crimes. He did however agree with Koch that Murphy did suffer a psychological injury from the incident.

Koch said overall it was a very traumatic experience and that it’s always very dangerous for a felon to have a weapon.

“It was very dangerous for everyone at the gas station,” she said.

Briseno called the case “very unfortunate” and said that Davis had only one prior felony conviction and one prior misdemeanor conviction. She said that while Davis went to confront Murphy, it was Murphy who introduced a gun into the situation.

Davis said he plans to appeal his convictions. He also talked about possibly pressing charges against Murphy for injuring his ear.

“I’m going to prison for somebody trying to beat me with a gun?” he asked.