{"id":1234,"date":"2026-06-05T05:02:51","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T05:02:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arizonamovinginsider.com\/?p=1234"},"modified":"2026-06-05T05:02:51","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T05:02:51","slug":"mcso-sergeant-blasts-county-attorney-over-plea-deal-in-terrorism-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arizonamovinginsider.com\/?p=1234","title":{"rendered":"MCSO sergeant blasts county attorney over plea deal in \u2018terrorism\u2019 case"},"content":{"rendered":"
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PHOENIX \u2014 A Maricopa County Superior Court judge sentenced a man to four years in prison for making terrorist threats and advancing on a deputy with a knife.<\/p>\n

Read more WATCH: Video about Scottsdale\u2019s toilet-to-tap water recycling program stirs controversy<\/a><\/p>\n

The Maricopa County Attorney\u2019s Office reached a plea deal with Ismail Hamed earlier this year that allowed him to designate his crimes as non-dangerous and receive a reduced prison sentence.<\/p>\n

He will be eligible for release in August 2029, according to online state inmate records.<\/p>\n

At Hamed\u2019s sentencing, Maricopa County Sheriff\u2019s Office Sgt. Brandon Wells told the judge the crime has had an impact on his life and family.<\/p>\n

He also sharply criticized the plea deal.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was an extreme lack of communication to me not only from the MCSO but also the county attorney\u2019s office,\u201d Wells said. \u201cThe United States does not negotiate with terrorists and the county attorney did just that.\u201d<\/p>\n

ABC15 asked County Attorney Rachel Mitchell about the plea deal and Wells\u2019s statement at her monthly press briefing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI completely understand (Wells\u2019s) perspective. He was there facing that danger,\u201d Mitchell said, adding, \u201cIt\u2019s not a matter of negotiating with terrorists. We looked at the information provided to us and there was a significant mental health history that we did take into account.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hamed was arrested in January 2019 after attacking Wells<\/u>.<\/p>\n

He ignored repeated commands to drop a knife while moving toward Wells, according to body camera video.<\/p>\n

Read more 2026 National Doughnut Day: deals and freebies in the Valley you \u2018donut\u2019 want to miss<\/a><\/p>\n

When Hamed got within a few feet of Wells, he shot him twice.<\/p>\n

The case drew national attention with leaders announcing\u00a0that investigators found<\/u> Hamed had become \u201cradicalized\u201d and wanted to harm law enforcement to \u201cpromote terror.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hamed also spoke at the sentencing and apologized to Wells while denying ties to any terrorist groups.<\/p>\n

\u201cWords cannot express how sorry I am for the pain and the suffering I have caused you,\u201d he said. \u201cI have no ties to any terrorist organization. I do not support terrorism at all. I am just a mentally ill person looking for help and guidance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hamed claimed he was attempting suicide-by-cop.<\/p>\n

The case faced several delays as the court managed issues related to Hamed\u2019s competency,\u201d records show.<\/p>\n

Prosecutor Edward Leiter also addressed the judge at the sentencing and said he and Mitchell \u201ctoiled\u201d with this case and how to decide what to do.<\/p>\n

Leiter said he believes prison is necessary, but he also wants Hamed to be successful. To highlight this point, the prosecutor said that\u2019s why MCAO allowed Hamed to remain out of custody between the plea deal and sentencing so he could finish up college.<\/p>\n

Read more Tow truck driver dies in fiery crash along Loop 101 near Ray Road<\/a><\/p>\n

Contact ABC15 Chief Investigator Dave Biscobing at ABC15.com.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Maricopa County Superior Court judge sentenced a man to four years in prison for making terrorist threats and advancing on a deputy with a knife.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1233,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-investigations"],"yoast_head":"\nMCSO sergeant blasts county attorney over plea deal in \u2018terrorism\u2019 case - Arizona Moving Insider<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/arizonamovinginsider.com\/?p=1234\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"MCSO sergeant blasts county attorney over plea deal in \u2018terrorism\u2019 case - 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