Convicted Felon Sentenced to 15 Years for Aggravated Assault of a Federal Officer and Discharge of a Firearm

Memphis, TN – Cody James Dimmett, 29, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for assault of a federal officer and the use and discharge of a firearm during the assault. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the sentence today.

According to the information presented in court, on May 25, 2021, the FBI and the Southaven Police were notified that Dimmett, wanted for multiple warrants, would be travelling through the area. When law enforcement noticed Dimmett's vehicle, they began a pursuit that ended in Memphis. Dimmett got out of his car with an SKS rifle and fired multiple rounds, striking an officer in the arm. He fled the scene in the officer’s vehicle and was later spotted in Arkansas. During the chase, Dimmett used the vehicle’s blue lights and led officers on a high-speed chase of more than 120 miles per hour, into Palestine, Arkansas, where he crashed and fled on foot. After several hours, the defendant surrendered.

On January 20, 2023, United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Dimmett to 183 months in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the Southaven Police Department, DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, Memphis Police Department, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia - State and Local Police Departments.

United States Attorney Ritz said: "This significant prison sentence justly reflects the severity of the crimes this defendant committed. I am glad we could hold him to account for his armed assault on law enforcement officers.”

“Federal law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to protect and defend our communities from violent criminals on a daily basis, and all too often those acts of violence are directed against law enforcement,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the Memphis Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “This sentencing reaffirms the FBI’s commitment to hold violent members of society accountable and send to prison those who commit crimes against the brave men and women who dedicate themselves to upholding and enforcing the law.”

United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Lorraine Craig and Greg Wagner, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates