Century sentence for man in cop's shooting

PONTIAC (AP) -- A man who was the getaway driver when a suburban Detroit police officer was fatally shot was sentenced Wednesday to at least 100 years in prison. Terry Bowling was outside an Oakland County home in January when his brother and Livonia Officer Larry Nehasil died in a shootout. The brothers were being tracked by undercover officers who suspected them of breaking into homes across the Detroit area. Bowling, 49, was sentenced a month after pleading no contest to second-degree murder and other charges. Police say he was captured while trying to drive away after the shooting. Bowling apologized for the "tragic" death. His attorney, Randall Lewis, said Bowling had no direct role in the fatal shooting. Oakland County Circuit Judge Michael Warren repeated the words of Nehasil's wife, Linda, who spoke in court. "We were living the American dream and it was supposed to be happily ever after. ... Instead it became the American nightmare," the judge said, quoting Linda Nehasil. Warren acknowledged the sentence was at the "high end" and told Lewis he could appeal. Published: Fri, Oct 28, 2011