Suspect sentenced to 58 years in prison

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Douglas Morse, 43, who was shot by a U.S. Marshal on Feb. 12, 2009, was convicted on two counts of aggravated assault of a public servant, one count of unauthorized use of a vehicle and one count of evading arrest with a vehicle. He was sentenced to 58 years in prison.

Morse will not be eligible for parole for at least 29 years, as his convictions will run concurrently.

A Deputy U.S. Marshal shot Morse because he was wanted for assaulting an officer and stealing the officer's vehicle in Live Oak, Texas the day before. Inside the deputy's vehicle were a handgun and a shotgun.

Morse called his federal parole officer on Feb. 12 and said he was "not going back to prison." The parole officer tried to convince Morse to turn himself in, to which Morse refused.

The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force tracked Morse to the Balcones Club Apartments in the 9200 block of Balcones Club Drive in Northwest Austin on Feb. 12. Officers were waiting at the apartments when Morse arrived and surrounded his Dodge Charger. Morse struck an officer who was on foot and rammed his vehicle into another officer's vehicle, before trying to flee on foot. A Deputy Marshal shot Morse twice as he was running after he reported seeing Morse reach into his waistband.

"He was running away from the police, and he was seeking aid and comfort from people that he believed to be knowing here," said U.S. Marshal Lafayette Collins.

Morse underwent surgery at University Medical Center at Brackenridge Thursday evening for gunshot wounds to his arm and leg.

An Austin police officer and a deputy U.S. Marshal were also taken to local hospitals after they complained of pain after their vehicles were hit by Morse's vehicle. No major injuries were reported.

Before his jury trial, Morse said if he had known that the police were going to pull him over and take him to jail, he would have "had a gun on [him] and shot [his] way out." (Hear the rest of the shocking phone conversation here)

Morse had numerous prior felony convictions. In 1985, he served prison time for unauthorized use of a vehicle and burglary of a habitation in Comal County. Just two years later, he went to prison again for five convictions for unauthorized use of a vehicle in Bexar County. The next year, he went to prison again for creidt card abuse and unauthorized use of a vehicle in Bexar County again. In 2002, he went to federal prison for possessing with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine.