Man sentenced to 32 months in prison on burglary, gun charges

Sedgwick County, KANSAS – According to the court documents, his name is James Hathorn and he was sentenced to 32 months in prison.

The 46-year-old defendant was sentenced on Tuesday.

Prosecutors said Hathorn pleaded guilty in September to multiple charges, including: residential burglary, theft, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a sawed-off shotgun.

On Feb. 27, officers investigating a burglary report entered the house and bumped the chair where the shotgun was stored, causing it to discharge.

Prosecutors said that the blast from the shotgun struck two of the officers in the legs, causing severe injuries.

The loaded shotgun was not in safe mode and the trigger guard was not on the weapon.

District Judge Dahl said that while the defendant did not intend to injure anyone, his actions in entering the home without permission and storing an illegal and loaded shotgun in the chair created an unsafe environment that led to the officers being injured.

This story will be updated as new information become available.