photo by: Douglas County Sheriff's Office

Dalton Vale Turner

A Lawrence man who shot his mother and stepfather during an alcohol- and drug-fueled confrontation was granted probation on Friday.

The man, Dalton Vale Turner, 21, originally faced two felony counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

The charges are in connection with an incident on Feb 1, 2023, in the 500 block of North 900 Road, south of Clinton Lake in rural Douglas County when Turner is alleged to have fired multiple rounds at a 47-year-old man, his stepfather, while drinking heavily and smoking a concentrated form of marijuana. The stepfather then grabbed Turner and wrestled him to the ground. While the two wrestled, Turner’s mother entered the room and was shot in the foot while the stepfather was shot in the leg, as the Journal-World reported.

Turner pleaded no contest to the aggravated assault charge and the state dismissed the aggravated battery charges as part of a plea agreement in January.

On Friday, Turner was sentenced to two years in prison, which Judge Sally Pokorny then suspended to two years of probation. Turner’s attorney, Tyler Garretson, of Olathe, asked Pokorny to grant Turner probation so that Turner could continue getting treatment for drugs and alcohol.

“You remember the Dalton Turner you met before, he was on a cadre of drugs at the time,” Garretson said, referring to a past hearing in the case where Pokorny had to stop the proceedings and ordered Turner to undergo a drug test, which he failed for cocaine, opioids and marijuana, as the Journal-World reported.

Garretson said that Turner has since engaged in counseling to combat his substance abuse problems and has made significant progress. Garretson said that Turner has also been successful while on probation in Johnson County.

Prior to Pokorny handing out her sentence, Turner said that he is confident that he can complete his terms of probation and that he has changed as the case has gone on.

“I really regret what I was doing at the time,” Turner said.

Pokorny said that she has seen a change in Turner since the case began and that she felt he has taken corrective action. She said that a two-year prison term was a lengthy sentence for someone Turner’s age but that the probation terms would also be difficult to complete and that staying off of drugs and alcohol would be important to his continued freedom.

“Good luck to you. Stay straight,” Pokorny said.

Turner was convicted of felony fleeing from law enforcement in Johnson County and was sentenced to five months in prison, which was suspended to 12 months of probation. Garretson said that Turner will apply to have his Johnson County probation transferred to Douglas County so he can serve the sentences with the same court officer.