A Saline County judge has suspended a prison sentence for a 32-year-old Kansas City rap artist convicted of shooting a man in Salina.

Reginald “Dalima” Easterwood’s used a small caliber handgun to shoot a Salina man after a disturbance at the Howard Johnson Inn on E. Diamond Drive back in June. Shane Salyards was wounded in his right side.

Judge Patrick Thompson on Friday suspended Easterwood’s 13-month prison sentence for one felony count of aggravated battery in the June shooting.

The judge imposed 60 days in jail as part of Easterwood’s two years of Community Corrections-supervised probation. Easterwood had no prior felonies.

Thompson also ordered Easterwood to register as a violent offender for 15 years, undergo a drug and alcohol evaluation, and pay about $20,000 in restitution for medical bills for the victim.

Thompson said it was more important to allow Easterwood to continue working to pay off the restitution and support his family than send him to prison.

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Asociated Press informatio from: The Salina Journal