Man sentenced to life for attempted first-degree murder of Sanibel police officer

Writer: Nicholas Karsen
Published: Updated:
Jon Webster Hay Credit: The State Attorney’s Office

A man found guilty of attempted first-degree murder for shooting at a Sanibel police officer has been sentenced to life in prison.

Jon Webster Hay was convicted in December of three counts of attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer, fleeing to elude a law enforcement officer and shooting at or into an occupied vehicle.

During Monday’s sentencing, the judge said, “I’m sorry you didn’t get the help you needed before this incident. It’s clear you needed help.”

According to the state attorney’s office, on Nov. 20, 2016, just before 8 p.m., a Sanibel police officer, Jared Ciccone, was sitting in his marked patrol car along Periwinkle Way.

He was filling out a report on a traffic stop when he was shot in the shoulder by someone in a passing car.

Other Sanibel police officers quickly arrived and gathered enough information to identify the shooter as Hay.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office also responded.

They located Hay’s vehicle and attempted to stop it, but he fled, driving to his home on Sandcastle Way.

As law enforcement approached, Hay, armed with an AR-15 rifle, fired more than two dozen rounds at them.

The bullets did not strike officers, but the patrol cars were hit. The officers returned fire. Hay was grazed by a bullet and taken into custody.

Ciccone was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

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