Former officer sentenced to 30 years for teen's death

BARTOW (FOX 13) - As a former law enforcement officer, John Camfield is used to testifying for in DUI cases, but his most recent court appearances he’s had to defend himself.

Camfield was convicted of being drunk when he plowed into a group of kids who just got off the bus in Poinciana last year. After the crash, he took off and hit a vehicle down the roadway.

One of the kids Camfield hit, 13-year-old Jaheim Robertson, died from his injuries.

During his trial, Camfield’s attorneys called multiple character witnesses who said John was a good father and the kind of man who would always stand up for what’s right.

The day of the crash that killed Jaheim, however, Camfield’s blood-alcohol level was twice the legal limit to drive.

Camfield said the crash did not happen because he was drunk but because he had a medical emergency that caused him to black out.

“This was not intentional. This was not a drunk driving issue. This was a medical issue,” Camfield said.

Jaheim’s mom could not contain her anger as she gave her victim statement During Camfield’s sentencing

“I waited for him and waited for him and he never came home. You took that away from me. You took that away from my family,” Robin Robertson said.

The judge seemed to side with the Robertson family, sending Camfield to prison for what could be the rest of his life.