Officer Given 11-Year Sentence in Shooting

A judge Wednesday sentenced Santa Monica police detective Linda Brown to 11 1/2 years in prison for shooting Kevin Cummings, her ex-lover and fellow officer.

Torrance Superior Court Judge Andrew Kauffman had harsh words for both Brown and Cummings, calling their behavior “disgraceful.”

Brown was convicted in May of attempted voluntary manslaughter with intent to cause great bodily harm and personal use of a firearm. She was charged with firing her .22-caliber gun five times at Cummings, hitting him twice in the chest, once in the abdomen and once in the leg.

“We will not tolerate this behavior from a private citizen, and we will not tolerate this from a police officer,” the judge said.

Brown, 38, who is expected to serve 5 1/2 years of her term, moaned quietly when Kauffman announced the sentence. She was led out of the courtroom in shackles.

Cummings, 34, sat alone in the back of the courtroom with his head down during the hearing. Both Brown and Cummings refused to address the court.

Brown claims Cummings attacked her for spreading rumors about him at work. She said she shot him in self-defense. Cummings claims she shot him when he tried to end their affair.

In November, a previous jury deadlocked. The case was moved to Kauffman’s court for a second trial, where a jury convicted Brown of the lesser charge, attempted voluntary manslaughter.