PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A judge has sentenced a man convicted of shooting and injuring a delivery driver in Center City over a parking dispute to two to four years in prison.
There were no empty seats left in the courtroom as family, pastors and even a former boss of the defendant, Corey Curtis, turned out in a show of support.
Prosecutors acknowledged the overwhelming turnout, and the defendant’s reputation as an upstanding citizen, saying “two things can be true at once…that he also shot an unarmed individual three times.”
They showed a video of the incident from February of 2022 that the defense says was “mistaken self defense.” Curtis and an elderly family member were parked near 17th and Chestnut Streets when the victim who was working on a food delivery double parked, temporarily blocking them in.
An argument ensued between the three people, before the victim, who the defense says was a trained fighter, punched the defendant, knocking him to the ground. As the victim got into his car, Curtis got up, pulled out a gun he was licensed to carry, and shot into the car multiple times—critically injuring the man.
Related
Judge Diana Anhalt called the decision “difficult in many respects” before sentencing Curtis to two to four years in prison. She said, “...one mistake doesn’t dictate who you are, however you do have to pay consequences for mistakes…”
“Mr. Curtis is a very well respected individual who made a terrible mistake. Judge Anhalt punished him for the mistake. We respect her decision. Mr. Curtis respects her decision and looks forward to becoming a part of the community again soon,” said Defense Attorney Charles Gibbs.
Curtis will have 30 days to turn himself in.