FORT WORTH, Texas -
A Fort Worth jury on Wednesday sentenced a man to life in prison for shooting a police officer last year.
Joe Hayward, who has a long criminal history dating back to his early teens, shot Officer Cliff Hankins in the back outside a restaurant on July 7.
Hayward, 26, faced as few as 15 years in prison but jurors opted for the maximum sentence. He'll have to serve 30 years before being eligible for parole.
Meanwhile, with the court case behind him, Officer Hankins said it is time to move on.
"I'm not mad at him," Hankins said. "He did a boneheaded thing. Who am I to judge him? He's got God to judge him."
