SPOKANE, Wash. — The man who shot and killed a Shadle Park graduate in downtown Spokane was sentenced Friday to 25 years in prison.
The courtroom was filled with friends and family of 22-year-old Jakobe Ford, who was shot to death outside of Lucky's Bar in July 2021 by Michael Le, a former friend.
Ford had dreams of competing in the Olympics and was dating a woman Le had a child with. Prosecutors said Le was jealous and tried to stab Ford months before the shooting.
Ford's mother took the stand before the sentencing and spoke directly to her son's killer.
"You could have shot him in the leg, ended his career," Jakobe's mother said. "But, you shot him in the heart. My daughter had to watch him reach out for her for the very last time and fall to the ground."
Ford was out that night celebrating his sister's pregnancy. She saw the shooting and watched him die on the sidewalk. Le apologized to Ford's family before being sentenced.
Some family members on both sides of the case shared hugs after the sentence was carried out.
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