A Fayetteville man convicted Wednesday of shooting a police officer earlier this year was sentenced to spend the next two centuries behind bars.
The sentence was handed down in Washington County Circuit Court on Wednesday night (Dec. 5), just hours after his three-day trial ended before Judge William Storey.
Sergio Andrade-Martinez received a 27-year sentence for each of his eight attempted capital murder convictions. The defendant was also found guilty earlier Wednesday of two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of felony possession of a firearm and one count each of possession of a controlled substance and simultaneous possession of a firearm and cocaine.
The trial's jury recommended the 271-year sentence. Formal sentencing is set for Dec. 11 at 2 p.m., when the judge will decide whether to run Andrade-Martinez's sentences concurrently or consecutively.
The formal sentencing had been set for Dec. 10 but was rescheduled because an interpreter was unavailable, a court official said.
Andrade-Martinez declined to testify at his trial, which started Monday. Attorneys presented closing arguments Wednesday morning, with the case going to the jury at about 11:15 a.m. The court announced a verdict at about 4:30 p.m.
Witness testimonials dominated the first two days of the trial inside the courtroom in the case of a Fayetteville man accused of shooting an officer in the leg during a police standoff in March.
Officer Blake Williamson, the officer shot in the ankle, took the witness stand Tuesday morning, saying he and two other officers were taking cover behind a red pickup truck when he felt a sharp pain in his right ankle and realized he had been shot.
After surgery, Williamson returned to work in June but Tuesday said his ankle is still not back to normal and is very painful at certain angles.
Officer Sid Ramirez, was called on to speak to Andrade-Martinez on the phone in Spanish during the standoff.
Ramirez said he was able to get Andrade-Martinez to come out of his apartment and before another officer came in, used a Taser on him and took him into custody.
Defense Attorney Scott Parks asked the circuit court judge to reduce the charges on all eight counts of attempted capital murder, as well as the counts of aggravated assault and committing terroristic acts.
Storey denied Parks’ requests.
The defense did not call any witnesses to the stand.
