Man gets 11 1/2 years in I-90 floating-bridge stabbing

A man who last year stabbed another man in front of motorists on the Mercer Island floating bridge and then led police on a chase was sentenced Friday to 11 ½ years in prison.

Charles Harley Jackson, 39, stabbed his passenger, Kasen San, after crashing his car on Interstate 90 while en route to Bellevue. The attack brought traffic to a standstill while motorists jumped in to help the wounded man while others chased Jackson, who drove away in a stolen car.

In August, Jackson pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree murder, first-degree robbery and attempting to elude police.

While Jackson's lawyer sought a reduced sentence of six years, King County Deputy Prosecutor William Doyle asked Superior Court Judge Chris Washington to sentence him to 12 years behind bars. Under state guidelines, Jackson faced a standard sentencing range of between 11 ½ and 18 years in prison.

Defense lawyer Thomas Coe said during Friday's sentencing hearing that Jackson is mentally ill.

Jackson apologized to San and said the attack happened when he was having a "psychotic" episode. San, who cannot walk without a cane, glowered at Jackson during the hearing and said, "I wish you would have killed me."

According to prosecutors, Jackson spent the late night hours of Jan. 31, 2008, drinking beer and smoking crack in Seattle. In the morning, Jackson, San and a woman all headed to Bellevue, but along the way Jackson lost control of his Subaru and crashed, court documents said.

San and the woman tried to run away but Jackson chased after them, court papers said. Jackson stabbed San repeatedly while motorists watched, prosecutors said. Jackson then carjacked a 16-year-old girl, ran over San and headed east on the interstate, court papers said.

Troopers following Jackson tried to stop the stolen Dodge sedan by placing spike strips in the roadway but Jackson drove around them. He was stopped after troopers spun his car to a stop using a high-speed driving maneuver.

San said the attack has left him unable to support his young daughter. The injured man's family said he is still in pain and unable to work.

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com