By Sarah Stephens
Elmore Autauga News
Top Photo is from his original arrest.
UPDATE: We apologize for incorrectly identifying the judge in this case. The acting judge was Trey Norman. It has been corrected.
A former Montgomery Police Officer was sentenced to two years of probation this morning in Prattville Municipal Court, after pleading guilty to “Swatting” calls made to Prattville Police while on duty as a Montgomery officer.
Swatting calls are intentionally false reports made to law enforcement.
Chris Sanspree, Jr. was present at Prattville City Hall with his defense attorney Kenny James. The prosecutor on the case was attorney Brad Ekdahl. The acting judge was attorney Trey Norman.
Sanspree was on patrol duty when he was arrested in February of this year. He was booked into the Autauga Metro Jail, and bonded out on $6,000.
Sanspree faced a total of six charges in court this morning, and agreed to a plea agreement, admitting guilt, and receiving 24 months of probation. He is also responsible for fines and courts costs. He is no longer a police officer, and as part of the plea agreement, Judge Vickers will order that he can never again serve as a law enforcement officer.
On Oct. 14 Sanspree falsely reported an incident to Prattville 911 that a male had been stabbed and was walking towards PriMed.
Nov. 9, 2023 Sanspree falsely reported that 30 gunshots were fired in Silver Hills of Prattville.
On September 9, 2023, Sanspree falsely reported that a man in boxer shorts was breaking into cars and had a machete.
On December 26 of 2023, Sanspree falsely reported that shots were fired in Silver Hills.
On October 30, 2023, Sanspree falsely reported that black males in a charger were shooting round in Silver Hills.
On Nov. 3, 2023, Sanspree falsely reported that a teenager with a machete had struck someone.
The terms of Sanspree’s guilty plea ihe is given a six-month sentence for each count, which is suspended. Sanspree must agree that he will not seek further employment in law enforcement.
Sanspree asked to address the court, particularly the multiple Prattville Police Officers lining the walls of the room.
“I think you need to,” Judge Norman said.
Turning to the officers, Sanspree said, “I want to apologize to all of you, man. It was not professional. There is no excuse for it. I was abusing alcohol…it is still not an excuse. I have got it under control now.”
He continued saying, “I am thankful that nobody in this room is hurt. That is the biggest thing I care about. I just want to say I am sorry. I never intended to get anybody hurt. I really didn’t think it was funny, or anything like that. I was really down a rabbit hole. No excuse.”
At the time of his arrest and while he spoke with officers, Chief Mark Thompson said Sanspree made statements that “it was just a joke.
Judge Norman addressed Sanspree, saying, “Having lived here and raised two girls here and knowing most of these guys, I am going to say a few things. I am reluctantly going to go along with the agreement, but you know I don’t have to. You were in law enforcement.”
Norman said that as a law enforcement officer, Sanspree knows how dangerous these types of calls can be. Sanspree’s actions put officers in a position to possibly confront someone who was totally innocent. “This whole thing is just senseless.”
Sanspree shared that he is now in counseling and taking medication designed to keep him from drinking. Sanspree admitted that at the time he made the calls he was also taking the drug Zoloft.
“I don’t take it anymore, but if you drink alcohol with (Zoloft), it will make you black out,” Sanspree said. “I have woken up in the front yard, blacked out.”
Sanspree’s attorney Kenny James confirmed that Sanspree is in therapy.
Norman addressed Sanspree again saying, “This upset this community. We have a nice community here. That is why people leave Montgomery and come here. I genuinely hope that you have taken care of whatever got you here and I hope you are serious about it, and you’ve got a good lawyer. You have made a great deal with a reasonable prosecutor. But if anything else happens and I am on the judge on it…”
Sanspree said he understood.
Prattville Police Chief Mark Thompson then addressed the court making his thoughts very clear.
“You might have worked for Montgomery Police Department, and that was an embarrassment for them. But you were a police officer. And that has embarrassed the hell out of every police officer that works and carries a badge. We don’t appreciate it one bit, you thinking this was a joke. We didn’t think it was a joke. And regardless of what you think about me, in regard to phone calls you have made recently, if you ever make another phone call to the City of Prattville and carry this out, I will do everything in my power to lock you up in a penitentiary somewhere.”
Norman then said “I don’t know those details and it would be inappropriate for me to know them before I sat on this case today. But I know (Chief Thompson) and I know when he said something with that kind of conviction that there is something there. I hope you are serious about all of this. Because if you are not, it is going to come back. In the days that we live in, with Defund the Police and all of this other crap that we hear…nothing makes me madder than to watch that kind of stuff. Every time a law enforcement officer does something like this, it reflects on every one of these guys. And it gives the public just a reason to say ‘you are dirty.’”
He continued, “One bad apple can make the whole wagon look bad. I hope you appreciate the gravity of what all of this is.”
With that Norman told Sanspree he was free to go, but he gave a final warning. “Time will tell. And I promise I will revoke (probation) in a heartbeat if anything else happens.”
