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WASECA, Minn. – The man who shot a Waseca police officer in the head in January and gravely injured him was given the maximum allowable sentence on Friday, but the county attorney expressed dismay that he can’t be imprisoned for longer.
Tyler Robert Janovsky, a 38-year-old Waseca man with an extensive criminal history who has spent the majority of his adult life behind bars, was sentenced to 35 years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of attempted first-degree murder involving a police officer.
Janovsky sat in a wheelchair, his wrists and ankles shackled, while the police officer he nearly killed, Arik Matson, was mere steps away, next to his wife in the front row.
Minnesota Senator Proposes Upping Penalties for Injuring Cops
John Jasinski, District 24 Minnesota State Senator from Faribault wants to increase penalties for injuring law enforcement officers. Senator Jasinski will be holding a news conference Thursday along with others to outline the proposed legislation.
Jasinski will be joined by State Representative John Petersburg of Waseca, Waseca Police Officer Arik Matson, Megan Matson, Minnesota Police and Protection Officers Association (MPPOA) Executive Director Brian Peters and Waseca County Attorney Rachel Corneilus.
Last January Matson was severely injured while responding to a call in Waseca when he was shot in the head. He is still undergoing therapy in an attempt to recover from the brain injury caused by the bullet fired by a suspect he and other Waseca Police were attempting to apprehend.
MN lawmakers want to increase penalties for attempted murder of law enforcement
Officer Arik Matson
Posted: Jan 14, 2021 12:31 PM
Updated: Jan 14, 2021 5:47 PM
Posted By: Mike Bunge
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A new bill at the Minnesota Legislature would toughen the penalties for attempted 1st degree murder of a member of law enforcement.
State Senator John Jasinski of Faribault and State Representative John Petersburg of Waseca say their legislation would increase the maximum sentence for such crimes from 20 years to life in prison, and would require a minimum of 30 years be served before being eligible for release.
The bill was presented at a press conference Thursday, where the state lawmakers were joined by Officer Arik Matson, a Waseca police officer who was nearly killed in the line of duty last January, as well as Officer Matson’s wife Megan and Waseca County Attorney Rachel Cornelius.