Man sentenced to 21 years prison for shooting at Sonoma County deputy

A man who pleaded no contest to charges of shooting at a Sonoma County Sheriff's deputy last October has been given 21 years in prison, the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office said Friday.

 
Nathan Smart, 44, was charged with assault with a firearm on a peace officer, along with sentencing enhancements for personal use of a firearm and a previous conviction for gross vehicular manslaughter in 1999, prosecutors said.

Smart fired a homemade "zip" gun at Deputy Justin Clayton on Oct. 16, 2022, prosecutors said.

Deputies had been called out to Smart's residence earlier in the evening after his mother reported that he had threatened to kill her and himself. Smart fled before deputies could apprehend him, but later that night police received multiple calls about Smart breaking store windows in downtown Sonoma and causing a disturbance outside of Steiner's Bar.

When deputies responded in the City of Sonoma, Smart pulled out a self-made firearm and fired at Clayton, missing the deputy, prosecutors said. Smart was shot by deputies and required "extensive" medical care before being transferred to the county jail. The District Attorney's Office said Smart had intended to commit "suicide by cop."

Prosecutors said a search of Smart's residence produced more homemade firearm parts as well as melted-down objects which "appeared to be projectiles" for his homemade weapons.

Sonoma District Attorney Carla Rodriguez said that Smart's sentence was "entirely appropriate" due to his criminal history and danger to the community.