A West Palm Beach man is headed to state prison for three decades after a violent 2024 struggle over a police officer’s gun inside a Racetrac convenience store ended with the officer in the hospital and prosecutors pushing for the toughest penalties Florida allows.
On Friday, June 5, 2026, a judge sentenced Brandon McCray to 30 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to a slate of felonies tied to the March 8, 2024 confrontation. The officer was hurt during a fight over her duty weapon and was treated at St. Mary’s Medical Center. The judge imposed the sentence under a prison-release reoffender designation that carries mandatory enhancements.
Prosecutors say McCray pleaded guilty to robbery with a weapon, aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon, burglary of a structure, being a felon in possession of a firearm and related counts. He was sentenced as a prison-release reoffender to a 30-year term. The case was handled by Assistant State Attorney Jocelyn Watkins of the 10-20-life robbery unit, as reported by WPBF.
Why the prison-release reoffender label matters
Florida’s Prison-Release Reoffender (PRR) statute lets prosecutors seek enhanced or mandatory minimum terms when a qualifying felony is committed while an offender is still serving a prison sentence, on escape status, or within three years of release. The rule is codified in Florida Statutes Section 775.082, which sharply narrows judicial discretion in sentencing for qualifying cases…