On Friday, actor Michael Jace was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the murder of his wife, April Jace. On May 19, Jace was arrested for shooting his wife three times in their home in Los Angeles. According to CNN.com, police report Jace shot his wife once in the back after she arrived home, and then twice in her legs. The shooting occurred in front of Michael and April’s sons who are 5 and 8 years old.
Jace was enraged because his wife wanted a divorce, and he became convinced it was because she was seeing someone else. After shooting April, Jace called 911 to report himself and his crime to the police. Jace also admitted his crime to his father-in-law who, in a record released by the LA Fire Department, said, “My son-in-law called me and texted me and said to come and get the kids because he shot April, our daughter.”
Jace was perhaps best known for his role on the FX police drama, The Shield. During the series run from 2002-2008, Jace appeared in 89 of the episodes as his character Julien Lowe. Lowe began his career in law enforcement as a rookie officer in an inner-city Los Angeles police precinct. By the series finale in 2008, Lowe had successfully become a detective.
Law enforcement officers or military personnel were a main theme in Jace’s acting career. Jace appeared in another police drama, Southland, from 2009-2012. Furthermore, Jace’s film credits include starring in the 1999 TV movie, Michael Jordan: An American Hero, as the title character Michael Jordan.
Jace’s sentence comes barely days before the creators of The Shield began speculating about a series reboot at the ATX Film Festival. When asked about the idea of a reboot, creator and showrunner Shawn Ryan told The Hollywood Reporter, “I have some ideas where Vic Mackey is, but I don’t know where Vic Mackey is until someone puts me in a writers room with a group of these people and some people that aren’t here and give us a week to sort it out. Usually my first idea, instinct isn’t the right one so I have some thoughts. I’d love to hear their thoughts and I’d love someone to pay us to sit in a room.”