More than two years after American Fork Officer Hager was almost shot while on duty, his wife said she still fears sending him to work every day.

In a courtroom on Tuesday, she recounted a nightmare one of her children had about the “bad guy” who shot at her husband in January 2017.

“I feel like this needs to be over and his actions need to have consequences so he can’t hurt anyone ever again,” she said.

Seth Patterson, 36, was sentenced to prison on Tuesday for shooting at a police officer and violating a protective order multiple times.

He will serve three years to life for attempted murder, a first-degree felony, and a class A misdemeanor of violating a protective order will run concurrently.

“Police officers go out there with the intent to protect the public,” said prosecuting attorney Lauren Hunt. “We say if you face that for us, we will make sure we have your back and we will protect you.”

On Jan. 29, 2017, Patterson fired six to eight shots at Hager who responded to a domestic violence incident between Patterson and his now ex-wife.

The officer was not injured in the attack, and Patterson turned himself over to officers at the Police Department a few hours after the incident. He pleaded guilty but mentally ill to the charges in December.

In a statement read by his wife, Hagar said the bullets would have hit him if not for the equipment in the back of his patrol vehicle.

“The defendant’s poor decision almost cost me my life,” the statement read. “It definitely put the inherent risks and dangers of being a police officer into perspective for myself and my family.”

In October, after being released on bail, Patterson tried to trick school staff at an elementary school into revealing the new residential address of his ex-wife and her children.

An officer later spotted Patterson’s vehicle parked directly in front of another American Fork school where one of the woman’s children attends. Inside the vehicle were letters to the children and a BB gun freshly painted to look like a black handgun.

“I think it was only by the grace of God another officer saw him and knew his involvement in the case and pulled him over before he could get into the school,” Hunt said.

At the sentencing, Patterson apologized to his family and the family of the police officer. He said he doesn’t remember what happened the night of the shooting due to medication for a mental illness.

“I feel horrible and confused and I’m thankful no one was hurt,” he said.

His ex-wife said her children saved her life on the day of the shooting by intervening in the physical fight between her and Patterson.

She added that she didn’t realize she lived in an abusive and violent relationship until she spent time away from Patterson. She thanked the police officers for their protection and the court for revoking bail and granting her lifetime protective order.

“It’s been nice to have peace for the last few months. Thank you,” she said. “I see a bright future, despite the darkness of the past.”