GOLDEN, Colo. — A Colorado family feels some closure, but also the ongoing struggle to recover, after a man was sentenced to prison on Thursday for stabbing a Wheat Ridge police officer multiple times in 2022.
Andre Deshawn Jones, 32, was sentenced to 32 years in prison on multiple charges related to the 2022 attempted murder of Wheat Ridge Police Officer Allan Fischer, plus three years for an assault on a Jefferson County deputy while he was in custody in 2023.
The Jefferson County courtroom was full for Thursday's sentencing, and two additional courtrooms were opened to accommodate Fischer's family, friends and fellow officers.
The charges stem from April 13, 2022. Around 1 a.m. that day, Wheat Ridge police responded to 1100 W. 44th Avenue after receiving a report of a suspicious U-Haul that had hit a fence at the Prospect RV Park. Two officers approached the driver, who then stabbed Fischer multiple times in the neck, chest and back.
The other officer was able to take the suspect, later identified as Jones, into custody. Police provided medical care to Fischer before paramedics arrived and took him to the hospital, where he underwent surgery. He was released from the hospital the following day.
Watch his celebrated exit from the hospital in April 2022 in the video below.
Fischer returned to work in October 2022.
Following a six-day trial, a jury deliberated for less than four hours in August before finding Jones guilty of attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault (threaten a police officer with a deadly weapon), first-degree assault (intentionally causing serious bodily injury with a deadly weapon), first-degree aggravated motor vehicle theft and resisting arrest.
At his sentencing on Thursday, he also pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree assault on a peace officer. This charge stemmed from his assault on a Jefferson County jail deputy while he was in custody in September 2023.
Before the sentencing, multiple people, including Fischer's family members, provided victim impact statements. Many of them remembered learning about the incident, and described the impact on them throughout the years.
Kathleen Fischer, his wife, said her husband loved his job and she was proud of him, even through the sacrifices that the job demanded. She recalled the night she learned he had been stabbed 12 times and how their lives have changed since then.
"Judge, my daughters and I got a life sentence without parole due to Mr. Jones' actions that night, so I am asking that you sentence Mr. Jones to the maximum sentence possible," she said.
Their two daughters, Jordan Fischer and Kylee Fischer, also had their voices heard in court. Jordan Fischer wrote a letter that was read outloud and Kylee Fischer spoke in person. Both are currently police officers.
"When I get dispatched to a stabbing call now, I always have my father's incident running through my mind. When I just see a knife in the kitchen or a pocket knife, my mind continues to go back to the incident," Jordan Fischer said. "Judge, my father has been through a lot and he is very lucky he did not die that night. My father is not the same man he was since the incident happened. Mr. Jones has taken not only a lot from my father, but also from my family."
Kylee Fischer, who now works as a police officer for the Wheat Ridge Police Department, told the court she began going on ridealongs with her dad as a teenager and was "captivated by the bravery and respect that came with this job."
"My dad was my hero and I admired everything he stood for," she said. "Inspired by his example, I made the decision to transform from being a teacher to becoming a police officer myself."
She said her family was changed forever after her dad was injured.
"This trauma will forever linger in my mind and I still have frequent nightmares and the haunting radio traffic from that night plays on repeat in my head," she said. "It has altered the way I perceive the world around me. Your Honor, the suspect robbed my day of his career — a career that he loved and cherished. As police officers, we vow to serve our community, uphold the law and hold individuals accountable for their actions. My dad will never have that opportunity again. In a way, the suspect did kill my dad that night. The man who came home after this horrific incident is not the same man who went to work with a smile on his face every day. Now when you talk to my dad, you can feel the weight of what he lost. It's the heaviness in his voice, the way his laughter has faded."
She asked the judge to hold Jones accountable and sentence him to the maximum.
Following those statements, Jones made a brief statement.
"My actions have led me to this day," he said. "I take accountability for my own actions."
District Judge Poland then sentenced Jones to prison.
After walking out of the courtroom, Alan Fischer briefly spoke to a group of reporters.
"I'm hoping me and my family can move on now and not be reminded of this any more than we already have been," he said, adding that there were times where he doubted if the case would ever reach a trial and verdict.
He loved his job as a patrol officer and while he sometimes feels wishful he could return to that role, he said he has a great group of people to work alongside in the police department's records department.
"There's not really any forgiveness. I'm not a bad person. I don't think bad or wish bad on people," he said. "But in this case, like I said, it's more about protecting society going forward. I don't think he was remorseful at all for what he did. I think he's just more remorseful that he is going to prison."
"I was pretty well-liked at Wheat Ridge police Department, but I didn't know how much," he continued. "I didn't realize the impact for a long time that my incident had on all law enforcement, not just Wheat Ridge, not just Jefferson County... I'm not a hero. I just did my job to the best of my ability."
Wheat Ridge Police Chief Chris Murtha said Fischer is not just a member of the police department still, but he's a member of their family.
"Alan said he's not a hero. Alan is an ordinary guy who does extraordinary things. Just like every other member of this agency and law enforcement," Murtha said. "I think the message that was sent today is: Not only does the Wheat Ridge community support us, which they do, but also we feel support from the entire region. It sends a message to first responders that while there may be negativity in the media sometimes, today is a day where we can say, 'Yes, this job is worth doing.' I think this validates Alan's 20 years of service to say that if you harm a first responder, a law enforcement officer, then you're going to get appropriate punishment."
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