San Diego

A 20-year-old National City man was sentenced Thursday to 14 years in state prison for wounding a San Diego Police officer during a routine traffic stop.

Raul Zamudio Cortez was given the term by San Diego Superior Court Judge Kevin Midlam, who also ordered him to pay $10,000 to the city for the officer’s medical bills.

Officer Scott Haney, who watched the sentencing, was shot Dec. 26 in the arm and the chest. The two bullets striking his chest were deflected by his bulletproof vest.

“I feel pleased with what happened,” said Haney of the sentencing.

Cortez was convicted in a non-jury trial last month of attempted murder and of inflicting great bodily injury upon the officer.

The shooting occurred about 3 a.m., when Haney stopped the car Cortez was driving for speeding on California 163 near an off-ramp to Interstate 5.

Haney was shot as he approached the driver. The officer returned fire, hitting the trunk of Cortez’s car and shattering his back window.

Haney has had three operations on his arm to increase his mobility. In one operation, a piece of his hip bone was taken out to reconstruct the bone in his arm.

So far, the officer’s medical bills total $14,475, according to Cortez’s probation report. The report said Haney might not be able to continue as a police officer if he does not regain more movement in his arm.

The defendant admitted shooting the officer but said he was drunk at the time and didn’t know why he did it. He said he thought the officer must have had a warrant for his arrest when he approached him.