A 44-year-old convicted felon pleaded guilty Monday in the shooting of a Birmingham police sergeant.

Kenneth Dewayne Whitehead was set to go to trial today before Jefferson County Circuit Judge Michael Streety.

Whitehead was charged with attempted murder in the 2020 shooting of Sgt. Anthony Wheeler and for shooting at Sgt. Arthur Wilder, who was not injured.

Whitehead pleaded guilty to both charges.

Streety sentenced Whitehead to 20 years in prison for each conviction with those sentences to be served consecutively, so a total 40 years.

Whitehead, who was also wounded in the exchange of gunfire with police, apologized in court Monday.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Charissa Henrich. Whitehead was represented by the Jefferson County Public Defender’s Office.

The shooting happened March 11, 2020, on the city’s westside.

It was about 12:45 p.m. that Wednesday when Wheeler and Wilder stopped a vehicle in connection with an investigation into ongoing vehicle thefts in the area. There had been a series of thefts, involving trucks with trailers or unmarked wreckers stealing vehicles.

The vehicle stopped was a truck pulling another vehicle.

The sergeants initiated the traffic stop to ensure they had the proper paperwork. When they did, police said at the time, a passenger jumped out of the vehicle and started to run, as did a second suspect.

Wheeler gave chase on foot. During the pursuit, Wheeler tripped.

As he was getting back up, Whitehead fired shots. Both Wheeler and the other sergeant returned fire.

An officer could be heard on the police radio yelling, “Shots fired.” The dispatcher replied, “Are they shooting at you?” and then a 10-33– the code for officer needs all possible assistance — was broadcast citywide.

Wheeler was shot at least once in the leg. Fellow officers rushed him in a police cruiser to UAB Hospital.

Wheeler had served the department for 10 years at the time of the shooting. He has since retired.

Wilder remains on the force.

Whitehead in 2005 pleaded guilty to robbery in Jefferson County. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with five to serve. According to the Alabama Department of Corrections, Whitehead had nine disciplinary infractions while serving his sentence at Bibb County Correctional Facility.

It wasn’t immediately clear when he was initially released, but court records indicate his probation was revoked in June 2010 when he was arrested on felony charges of possession of marijuana and cocaine, as well as resisting arrest.

The resisting charge was dismissed, but he pleaded guilty in 2011 to the drug charges and received a one-year, three-month suspended sentence.

According to ADOC, Whitehead was last released from prison on April 4, 2016.

He is in the Jefferson County Jail awaiting transfer back to state prison.