Pensacola man sentenced to life in prison for shooting a man in face in 2019

A Pensacola man convicted of shooting a victim in the mouth in 2019 was sentenced to life in prison.

State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden announces that on Thursday, Circuit Court Judge John Simon sentenced Jamal Eric Boyer to serve life in prison for attempted second-degree murder with a firearm. An Escambia County jury previously found Boyer guilty of the crime Feb. 15.

On June 3, 2019, Jamal Boyer discharged four rounds from a .40 caliber semi-automatic firearm out from the passenger side of a black Nissan at another motor vehicle on Navy Boulevard near the intersection with Pace Boulevard.

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One of the shots went through the windshield to strike the victim in the face. The bullet traveled through the victim's front teeth and tongue to become lodged in the back of his throat. He was seated in the passenger seat of the vehicle looking at his cellphone when he was struck.

The victim survived after the bullet was surgically removed at Baptist Hospital.

At the time of the incident, police said the shooting may have been sparked by the victim blowing a kiss at Boyer's female companion.

Boyer was sentenced to serve life in prison pursuant to Florida's 10-20-Life law. He also qualified as a prison release offender due to the fact that he was released from prison less than seven weeks before the shooting. The life sentence must be served day-for-day as a mandatory minimum sentence.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Matt Gordon. Court records indicate Boyer was represented by the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Jamal Boyer sentenced to serve life for 2019 Navy Boulevard shooting