Michael Brasel shooting: Tla Mla sentenced to 15 years for his role in killing

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Ramsey County courthouse was full of emotions on Thursday afternoon as the man accused of aiding and abetting in the murder of a beloved hockey coach, husband and father learned his fate.

After striking a plea deal, 18-year-old Ta Mla will spend the next 15 years behind bars for his role in the deadly shooting of Michael Brasel.

Court documents detail Mla was a part of a group out stealing items from cars in May when 44-year-old Brasel confronted them outside his home in the Saint Anthony Park neighborhood of St. Paul. Brasel was shot multiple times, and the group fled the scene, with Mla behind the wheel.

The shooter, Klee Swee, was sentenced in October to 25 years in prison.

The gun used to kill Brasel belonged to Mla, and when he was arrested, he had that weapon in his car. He gave a short apology in court but did not take accountability for his actions. 

"Sorry for your loss and I just want to say that I am really sorry. That's it," Mla said in part. 

Brasel's widow, Hilary, spoke about their two boys and the impact their father's murder had, especially on their 15-year-old, who witnessed the crime. She had pointed words for Mla, saying while he didn't pull the trigger, he set the crime in motion.

"It is so horrific to think that my husband lost his life over a phone charger. I struggle to know how Mla could watch a man he did not know be shot three times...and then drive away from the scene," said Hilary Brasel.