A Jackson man pleaded guilty Monday to three counts of assault on a law enforcement officer in connection with a June 2012 confrontation with police.

Lawrence Guthrie, 48, initially had been charged with one count each of domestic assault and armed criminal action and three counts of assault on a law enforcement officer.

Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Chris Limbaugh on Tuesday announced Circuit Judge Benjamin Lewis had accepted Guthrie's plea.

Sentencing is set for Feb. 17.

In February, Lewis rejected a similar plea attempt after Guthrie -- a Gulf War veteran and former Marine who has said he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder -- appeared to be uncomfortable with the plea.

At the time, Lewis left open the possibility for Guthrie to enter another plea before trial.

Citing concerns about pretrial publicity related to the failed plea in February, Lewis ordered a change of venue, moving the trial to New Madrid County.

Because the case moved, sentencing will occur in New Madrid County rather than Cape Girardeau County, Guthrie's attorney, Bryan Greaser, said.

In a telephone interview Tuesday, Greaser said the plea agreement has a 15-year cap, meaning Lewis can sentence Guthrie to no more than 15 years in prison.

"If the judge does decide that he wants to give him more than 15 years, then we would be allowed to withdraw our guilty plea," Greaser said.

Limbaugh declined to comment on the case until after sentencing.

Guthrie has said he was taking several medications for post-traumatic stress disorder June 13, 2012, and has no memory of the events of that day.

He is accused of engaging in a shootout with police who responded to a report of domestic violence at his home in a Jackson subdivision.

In February, Lewis told Guthrie he could enter an Alford plea, in which a defendant basically says, "I have seen the evidence, and I believe there's enough there to convict me," rather than unequivocally asserting his guilt.

At several points during the February proceeding, Guthrie expressed uncertainty about the likelihood of conviction but insisted he would rather plead guilty than risk going to trial and being "boxcarred" with consecutive sentences.

Under the terms of the February agreement, Guthrie would have received 15 years for each of the three counts of assault on a law enforcement officer, but the sentences would have run concurrently rather than consecutively.

At the time, Guthrie seemed to have trouble understanding some of the proceedings and expressed doubt he actually shot at officers, saying his background as a Marine rifle instructor made it unlikely he would have missed had he tried to hit someone from 100 to 150 yards away.

Greaser said Tuesday his client was eager to have the case resolved.

"He was very ready to put this all behind him," he said.

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