A man who was 17 when he shot and killed an Oceanside police officer was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The decision marked the second time that Meki Gaono, now 36, has been sentenced to life without parole for the slaying of Officer Daniel Bessant nearly 20 years ago.

Meki Gaono was resentenced to life without parole plus 51 years for the murder of Oceanside Police Officer Bessant at age 17, after law changes prompted sentence reconsideration.

While Officer Daniel Bessant was on a traffic stop, Meki Gaono, now 36, trained a rifle on the 25-year-old lawman from down the street and opened fire.

A 36-year-old man who was a teenager when he fatally gunned down an Oceanside police officer was resentenced Tuesday to life in prison without parole — although it doesn’t preclude the potential he will someday be released on parole.