The man who shot a wheelchair-bound Navy veteran on Seattle’s waterfront after accusing him of stolen valor has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison, closing a criminal case that began with a confrontation caught on video and ended with the victim speaking publicly about forgiveness.
KOMO News reporter Jeremy Harris reported that 33-year-old Gregory Timm was sentenced Friday for shooting 68-year-old Harold Powell in the chest during an incident on the waterfront last summer.
King County Superior Court Judge Karen Donohue called the shooting a “completely senseless act” during the hearing, according to Harris, and said it was “amazing” that no one else was hurt or that the scene did not become even more chaotic.
Powell, who survived the shooting, returned to the same waterfront area after the sentencing. Harris reported that the pier is one of Powell’s favorite places in Seattle, and Powell made clear that while he forgives Timm, he also believes accountability had to follow.
A Confrontation Over Stolen Valor Turned Violent
According to Harris’ report, the case began on July 31, 2025, when Timm confronted Powell on the Seattle waterfront and accused him of falsely claiming to be a veteran.
Video of the encounter later went viral. Harris said the footage showed Timm demanding that Powell produce military identification before snatching a Navy patch from Powell’s wheelchair.
Powell is a Navy veteran, and sentencing documents cited in the report also said Timm is a veteran, though the documents noted that Timm received an “other than honorable” discharge.
The confrontation escalated after Timm took the patch. According to Harris, Powell armed himself with a knife and a replica handgun in a holster during the dispute. The video showed Timm backing away before drawing a firearm and shooting Powell in the chest.
That sequence became central to Timm’s defense. Harris reported that Timm took the case to trial and claimed he fired because he feared for his life, but the jury convicted him of second-degree assault and theft, and the judge did not accept the argument that Powell had been the aggressor.
“Mr. Powell was in no way an aggressor or a willing participant in this event,” Donohue said during sentencing, according to the report.
Judge Calls Shooting ‘Entirely Of Your Own Making’
Timm declined to speak at sentencing, with Harris reporting that his attorney said an appeal may be filed. Even without a statement from Timm, the judge’s remarks made clear how the court viewed the case.
“This was a situation, a completely senseless act that was entirely of your own making,” Donohue said.
That line gets to the heart of why the case struck so many people as disturbing. Whatever Timm believed about Powell’s military service, he chose to confront him publicly, take something from his wheelchair, and turn a dispute over a patch into a situation where a man was nearly killed.
It is one thing to care about stolen valor. Many veterans and military families understandably view false claims of service as deeply offensive. But it is another thing entirely to decide that suspicion gives someone the right to intimidate, seize property, or escalate a confrontation with a disabled man on a public pier.
In the video Harris cited, Timm later told police he acted in self-defense, saying Powell had pulled a gun on him and that he “had no choice.” But Powell’s account, and the outcome at trial, left the court with a very different conclusion.
Powell Says Carrying A Gun Requires Restraint
Powell spoke to KOMO News after the sentencing and offered a measured response that stood out because of how little bitterness he showed toward the man who shot him.
“If you’re going to carry a gun, you may just can’t shoot somebody because you’re mad, you’re angry at them, they don’t do what you say,” Powell said in Harris’ report. “Your life has got to be on the line. You got a right to protect your life. He wasn’t protecting his life.”
That is a plainspoken view of self-defense that many responsible gun owners would recognize. The presence of a weapon does not turn every argument into a lawful shooting, and the decision to use deadly force demands far more than anger, fear, or wounded pride.
Powell’s comments also cut through the noise surrounding viral confrontations. In the age of cellphone footage, online outrage, and people treating public disputes like personal crusades, this case is a reminder that real lives can be permanently changed in a matter of seconds.
Powell survived, but Harris reported that the bullet remains lodged in his chest. He has recovered enough to return to the waterfront, but that does not erase the violence of what happened or the consequences he still carries.
Forgiveness Without Excusing The Crime
One of the most striking parts of Harris’ report was Powell’s willingness to say he forgives Timm.
“You can’t let something ride with you or you have hate towards somebody, animosity towards somebody,” Powell said. “It doesn’t hurt them. It hurts you. It hurts your whole family.”
Powell said he was “cool with the sentence,” explaining that while he believes accountability matters, he does not think an excessive sentence would automatically be justice.
“There’s a point where it’s not justice anymore,” Powell said, according to Harris. “You give a guy 10 or 20 years for that’s not justice.”
That is a remarkably balanced response from someone who could have easily demanded the harshest possible punishment. Powell did not minimize what happened to him, but he also did not speak as someone consumed by revenge.
There is a lesson in that. Forgiveness does not mean pretending a crime was harmless, and accountability does not require endless punishment. Powell seemed to understand both ideas at once, which is not always easy to do after becoming the victim of violence.
Sentence Falls Within State Guidelines
According to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the 42-month sentence was within the range set by state law. Harris reported that Timm faced an overall sentencing range of 39 to 45 months after the jury convictions, and prosecutors sought the 42-month sentence the court imposed.
That context matters because many people hearing about a shooting may instinctively expect a much longer sentence, especially when the victim was a disabled veteran. But sentencing ranges are shaped by statutes, conviction levels, criminal history, and guidelines that courts are required to apply.
Timm’s defense team may appeal the convictions, Harris reported, but for now, the criminal case has ended with a prison sentence and a judge making clear that the shooting should never have happened.
The broader story, though, is not only about a courtroom result. It is about how quickly a confrontation can become catastrophic when someone decides to police another person’s identity, service, or dignity through force.
A Favorite Pier After A Life-Changing Shooting
After the hearing, Powell went back to the waterfront, the same place where the shooting happened.
Harris reported that Powell described it as his favorite spot, saying it was his pier and even joking that when he dies, his ashes could be scattered into the water there.
That return says something about Powell’s refusal to let the shooting define the place or his life. Many people would avoid the scene of a trauma forever, and nobody could fault them for that, but Powell seemed determined not to surrender a place he loves to the memory of one violent moment.
The case began with suspicion, pride, and confrontation. It ended, at least for now, with a prison sentence, a judge’s rebuke, and a survivor choosing forgiveness without forgetting what was done to him.
For all the attention the viral video received, Powell’s final message may be the most lasting part of the story: anger and animosity do not repair harm, but accountability still matters.
Raised in a small Arizona town, Kevin grew up surrounded by rugged desert landscapes and a family of hunters. His background in competitive shooting and firearms training has made him an authority on self-defense and gun safety. A certified firearms instructor, Kevin teaches others how to properly handle and maintain their weapons, whether for hunting, home defense, or survival situations. His writing focuses on responsible gun ownership, marksmanship, and the role of firearms in personal preparedness.
