frederick-o-goss

JEFFERSON COUNTY — A Jefferson County jury found a 57-year-old Mt. Vernon man not guilty Thursday of attempted murder in a case accusing him of disarming a Jefferson County correctional officer and then using the weapon to shoot at him.

Frederick Goss was found guilty, however, of aggravated discharge of a firearm, disarming a correctional employee, and attempted escape. Goss informed the court he does not wish to be present for sentencing in the case, which is scheduled for November 3.

The case made national news when surveillance video from the courthouse Sally Port was released to the public and showed Goss wrestle the correctional officer’s weapon away from him and then fire the weapon toward the man. It then showed another deputy enter the area and shoot Goss.

Goss was being returned to the courthouse at the time where he was being tried in an earlier case accusing him of armed robbery and aggravated discharge of a firearm at a Mt. Vernon police officer.

He was convicted on both charges in that case and was ultimately sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Following Thursday’s guilty verdict, Goss was remanded back into the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections to continue serving the 40-year sentence.