QuickTake:

A man who fired a rifle from inside his home injured a Springfield police officer badly enough that he will feel pain for the rest of his life, a prosecutor said after a sentencing hearing Tuesday.

A 48-year-old man who fired a rifle at two Springfield police officers — injuring both — has been sentenced to 70 months in prison.

A jury on June 6 found Michael Allan Groff guilty of second-degree assault with a firearm and third-degree assault with a firearm, as well as unlawful use of a weapon.

The sentence handed down Tuesday includes 70 months for the most serious assault charge, as well as 18 months in prison for the lesser assault charge and five years for unlawful use of a weapon.

Lane County Deputy District Attorney Nick Geil said after the hearing that the sentences will be served concurrently, resulting in a 70-month sentence for Groff.

In August 2023, police approached the door of a Springfield home to investigate a report of a man breaking items in the street. At the time they approached the house, the man was believed to be inside, according to news accounts published at that time. From inside the home, Groff fired a rifle, with court documents listing Brian Bragg and Kirsten Cardwell as the two injured officers.

“This had a huge impact on the officers’ lives,” Geil said after the sentencing. Bragg addressed the court during the hearing, and Geil said the injury sustained to Bragg’s ankle area has reduced the range of motion for his foot.

Bragg will have “pain for the rest of his life,” Geil said.

As part of the sentence imposed Tuesday, Groff is to forfeit any claims to firearms and firearm accessories seized by police.

In a civil lawsuit against Groff that’s separate from the criminal case, Bragg alleges negligence and seeks up to $1 million in damages for pain and suffering in addition to economic damages related to his medical care.

The lawsuit describes a surgery during a three-day hospital stay after the shooting.

“A significant amount of shrapnel was removed from the foot, and medical imaging confirmed some residual shrapnel remains in the surrounding soft tissue,” the civil lawsuit states. The civil suit, filed in February, has a trial date set for February 2026.

Groff is described as living on the 1800 block of Market Street in Springfield at the time of the shooting, according to court documents filed on his behalf in the civil lawsuit. 

After the shooting, police from several law enforcement agencies arrived and eventually took Groff into custody without further injuries. Police also helped move people in the neighborhood to safety.

Cardwell last year became only the third-ever recipient of the state’s Law Enforcement Medal of Honor. After being struck by fragments from the fired rounds, she pulled Bragg to safety and provided medical aid. The news release from the city of Springfield about Cardwell’s honor did not name Bragg, but stated that the officer she helped recovered and returned to full duty.

“Her courage and selflessness inspire us all,” Gov. Tina Kotek said in a statement last November.

Online court records list a 2023 court hearing in which Groff was found mentally unfit to proceed. But after a psychological evaluation, a subsequent hearing in 2024 resulted in Groff being found fit for court proceedings.

The 12-person jury trial lasted four days last week, according to online court records.

In an email, Lt. Justin Myers with the Springfield Police Department thanked prosecutors for their work on the case.

“We recognize the work that goes into any successful prosecution and thank our employees as well as area partners for their effort — especially the Lane County District Attorney’s Office,” Myers said.

“Events such as this have an obvious impact on an entire agency. It serves as a reminder of the dangers faced by officers on a daily basis. This event certainly brought SPD together as an agency and will continue to be an event that shapes SPD moving forward.”