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Officers Face Man Who Shot Them During Sentencing Hearing

GOLDEN, Colo. (CBS4)- A Jefferson County judge on Thursday sentenced a Lakewood man responsible for a suicide-by-cop attempt to a 120 year prison sentence.

"I was millimeters and seconds from dying that night. If he had his way, I'd be dead right now," said Lakewood Police Det. Kim Collins.

Gordon Moench was convicted of attempted murder last month for the crime, which happened on July 5, 2014.

Gordon Moench
Gordon Moench (credit: Lakewood Police)

Moench fired shots at two Lakewood police officers from the back of his pickup truck when they approached his home following a domestic disturbance report. Both officers were hit, but they were wearing bullet-proof vests and survived.

One of those officers, Collins, nearly lost her leg and has had to undergo 10 different surgeries.

kim collins
Lakewood Police Det. Kim Collins (credit: CBS)

"It was none short of an explosion going off in my knee," said Collins.

She praised her colleagues for saving her life, "They stabilized my leg, they put a tourniquet on it."

lakewood police shooting
(credit: CBS)

Moench told a police dispatcher after he wounded the officers that police would have to kill him in order for the violence to stop.

Lakewood Police Det. John Key was the other officer shot that night.

"I got lucky," said Key. "I actually felt that there was a hole in my chest and I still have a scar from that."

john key
Lakewood Police Det. John Key (credit: CBS)

A third officer then wounded Moench with a shotgun blast while he was walking down the street.

"Seeing my partner and my colleague and one of my classmates, John Key here, squirting blood out, told me what kind of person I was dealing with," said Lakewood Police Officer Luke Godfrey.

The officers involved had harsh words for Moench in the courtroom during Thursday morning's sentencing hearing in Golden.

MOENCH GUILTY VERDICT
Gordon Moench (credit: CBS)

The judge said all of the officers involved are still suffering from anxiety and other post-traumatic issues.

His ex-wife described him as a good man who made unwise decisions that day.

Moench said in court that an apology won't fix the harm he caused and also said he understands that he hurt a lot of people.

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