Man sentenced to 24 years in prison for shooting at cop
A 31-year-old felon who was convicted in federal court of shooting at a Baltimore police officer in 2008 was sentenced this morning to nearly 24 years in prison. The U.S. District Court judge enhanced the sentence for Antonio Holton because he has three previous convictions for drug offenses and robbery, making him a career criminal.
It appears that federal authorities yanked the case out of Baltimore Circuit Court in mid-trial, after testimony had already begun in February 2009. It's not immediately clear why at this point, but the feds do take many of the city's gun cases because penalties in the federal system are harsher and conviction rates are better.
The case was first tried in Circuit Court, ending with a hung jury that was in favor of acquittal by a 10-2 margin, according to defense attorney Ivan Bates. Federal authorities then agreed to take the case. Court records show the case is pending in state court, but that appears to be a formality as they await the outcome of the federal proceedings.
At the onset of his trial in state court, Holton's attorney grilled Police Officer Jared Fried, a narcotics detective, on why he shot at his client 10 times, striking him once. The attorney also questioned why his client's DNA wasn't found on the .45 caliber Hi-Point pistol.
For more details:
Prosecutors said in court documents that the incident began when Fried and Officer Angela Choi were patrolling the 2900 block of Presbury Street in West Baltimore in an unmarked vehicle. The detectives heard a gunshot near Poplar Grove Street and drove over. The documents say they saw a man later identified as Holton running south.
Fried jumped out of the car and ran after Holton. Choi drove to try and intercept the suspect by blocking off an alley. "The defendant turned around and ran back toward Detective Fried," prosecutors said in the documents.
Choi got on the radio and alerted her partner that the suspect was not running toward him in the dark. "The defendant, upon encountering Detective Fried, fired his weapon at the detective. The first shot missed Detective Fried; the defendant's gun then jammed."
Fried returned fire, hitting Holton twice.
The two men were about six feet apart.
Fried testified in state court that he could see the muzzle flash in the dark and then fired his gun 10 times. "I have a family to go home to," Fried testified, according to a news report by The Sun's police reporter, Justin Fenton. "I was scared I'd never see them. It was a nervous and excited feeling."
Fenton reported that Holton's lawyer, Ivan Bates, "emphasized the number of shots Fried fired by yelling bang! and pounding on the desk 10 times." Prosecutors said that Holton's gun jammed when he fired at Fried.
At some point, federal prosecutors took over and Holton was indicted by a federal grand jury. In documents filed in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, prosecutors said that no usable fingerprints were found on the gun, but that the suspect's hands contained gunshot residue.
The trial in federal court lasted four days.
Categories: Police shootings, West Baltimore
Comments
Thank goodness the federal prosecutors took it so that the fate of a wannabe cop killer was not in the hands of a worthless city jury. Maybe the feds should take more cases like this since city juries are made up of criminals, friends of criminals, and relatives of criminals that just want to set them all free.
Posted by: Eli | December 14, 2010 6:05 PM
people get less time for actually killing someone.
Eli: your argument is based in fiction - not reality.
Posted by: tony smith | December 14, 2010 9:47 PM
Holton was convicted in Federal court of being a felon in possession, NOT for shooting at a cop. This is a significant distinction, one that's directly relevant to the Exile strategy. More careful reporting would be appreciated.
http://www.justice.gov/usao/md/Public-Affairs/press_releases/press08/BaltimoreManExiledto24YearsinPrisonforPossessingaGun.html
Correct, he was not convicted for shooting at an officer, though the possession charge is for possessing a gun used in a shooting incident involving an officer. - JF
Posted by: micbearing | December 16, 2010 1:10 PM