Fresno Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Attempted Murder

Published on April 16, 2026

Today, April 16, 2026, Bradley Elmer Nicholson, Sr. (41, of Fresno) was sentenced to 14 years to life in state prison, plus an additional consecutive term of 14 years, for the attempted murder of a Fresno Police Department officer and the assault of a second officer with a semi-automatic firearm.

The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Raj Singh Badhesha of the Fresno County Superior Court.

On December 30, 2025, Nicholson pled no contest to one count of attempted murder of a peace officer while personally using a firearm, and one count of assault on a peace officer with a semi-automatic firearm. Nicholson also admitted a prior “strike” conviction and an aggravating factor.

The incident occurred on the evening of December 7, 2025, when Nicholson was contacted by a Fresno Police Department officer in a parking lot near W. Clinton Avenue and N. West Avenue for a Post-Release Community Supervision compliance check. During the contact, Nicholson discharged a .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun one time toward the officer’s head. The round struck the top of the officer’s department-issued baseball cap, but the officer was not physically injured.

Nicholson then fled through a nearby apartment complex. A second Fresno Police Department officer observed Nicholson standing behind a pickup truck with his hands inside the truck bed. Nicholson then raised the firearm and pointed it directly at the second officer.

Nicholson has prior convictions for burglary, auto theft, narcotics possession, identity theft, and fraud.

The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office would like to thank the Fresno Police Department for their investigation and dedication to this case.

This case was successfully prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney James A. Butkus of the Felony Trial Team, with the assistance of the District Attorney’s Office support staff.

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