Reese Slade, 43, was sentenced to 64 years in prison in 2002 on charges including possession of machine guns, and dealing methamphetamines and cocaine, but was released in 2006 after an appellate judge agreed that he should have been allowed to fire his attorney and sent the case back to district court for reconsideration.

After the case was remanded back to Elbert County District Court, a prosecutor entered a 12-year prison deal with Slade, giving him credit for four years he already served and suspending the remaining eight years if he completed a drug program.

Casimir Spencer, spokeswoman for District Attorney Carol Chambers, said Tuesday that Chambers declined to comment beyond a statement that indicated responsibility for Slade's plea deal belonged to her deputies.

"He agreed with the Court of Appeals decision and extended an offer to Mr. Slade," the statement says. "The deputy DAs who worked on this case are no longer with the office, so we can only provide what is in the Court of Appeals opinion and the file notes." She did not identify the deputies.

Slade had argued that when he arrived at court for trial in October 2002, his attorney had told him he would get a 12-year sentence in part for his participation in sting operations. But the prosecutor declined the offer on the first day of trial and Slade was tried, convicted and sentenced to prison.

Slade appealed, claiming he cooperated with drug investigations for a year and "laid his life on the line."

"During that period he had admitted his own involvement in the drug-trafficking trade, had informed police concerning drug activities of others known to him," a court document says.

Slade said his attorney, Robert Grossman, told him he had until the first day of trial to decide whether to accept the plea deal, but when he tried to do so he was rejected.

He told the judge at the time, "I don't want Mr. Grossman representing me. . . . I want Grossman fired. If I have to do this myself, well then I'll try it."

But his request was denied.

On Friday night, after being stopped for suspected drunken driving in Castle Rock, Slade allegedly backed up into one deputy, changed gears and tried to run over a second deputy when he was shot.

Slade was treated, released from the hospital and is being held in jail. The injured deputy, whose identity has not been released, was treated for a leg injury and released.