Defendant gets 170 years for ambulance shooting

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) A man found guilty of shooting an ambulance and a car following it in September has been sentenced to 170 years in prison.

Dontay Martin, 23, plans to appeal the decision.

Martin was found guilty of four counts of attempted murder, for which he got 40 years each, as well as two counts of criminal recklessness and counts for battery, gun and gang charges.

The judge described Martin's actions back in September as a war zone that has terrorized this community. Jason Custer, deputy prosecuting attorney, said Martin doesn't have any value to society and wanted the court to give Martin the maximum sentence allowed in his case, which was 210 years.

"It kind of shocks the conscience, a case like this," said Custer. "I think the community is better for it now that Dontay Martin is going away for a long time."

Family members had a chance to speak before the court. Martin's mother asked the judge to show mercy on her son, but she did acknowledge that he will have to suffer the consequences to his actions. Willie Amos, Martin's cousin, believes his sentencing was unfair.

"That's horrible math because two took it up on their own to say what was done, and then get a lesser charge," Amos said. "Is it who rats first?"

Martin spoke before the court for the first time. He said he was at the wrong place at the wrong time and believes he's been wrongly convicted. Custer said he has a history of not being responsible.

"He's blamed other people. He has had this life of violence that he has continue to grow on and grow on up until this point. He's all about not taking responsibility. Well, 12 people in Allen County forced him to take responsibility," he said.

Another person responsible for the shooting was sentenced to 60 years in February . Traneilous "Neil" Jackson, 24, pleaded guilty to seven of nine counts on Jan. 28, including four attempted murder charges, one charge of battery and two charges of criminal recklessness as part of a plea deal.

The case against Martin

Dontay Martin, 23, faced four counts of attempted murder, handgun, gang and other felony criminal charges for the role he played in the September 9, 2012 incident.

According to court documents, he was an armed passenger in the car police said followed the ambulance, shooting the vehicle as it transported the stabbing victim to the hospital.? The ambulance was shot 16-20 times and a medic suffered minor injuries .

Shots were also fired at another vehicle that had been occupied by the stabbing victim?s family and friends.? The three people traveling in that car were injured when the vehicle was shot between 16 and 20 times.

The driver of the white Ford Crown Victoria carrying Martin and two other passengers told police he believed Martin fired shots at both vehicles from the rear passenger seat with a gun Martin found in the car.

Additional shots were fired by Traneilous ?Neil? Jackson, 24, who sat in the front passenger seat.? Jackson pleaded guilty on January 28 to seven of nine counts including four attempted murder charges.

Police determined that Martin and at least three of the individuals in the Crown Victoria were members of the ?MOB? street gang.? Police learned from interviews during the investigation that the original stabbing at Piere?s was in retaliation for previous violence against Traneilous Jackon?s brother.

Source: http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/crime/defendant-gets-170-years-for-ambulance-shooting

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