The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
MAN FOUND GUILTY IN OFFICER SHOOTING
Sheffield Lake man convicted of attempted aggravated murder
Martin L. Robinson had heard enough March 8 and left the courtroom after Lorain County Common Pleas Judge D. Chris Cook announced guilty verdicts on his first three counts, in particular the most serious charges. Robinson, 40, of Sheffield Lake, was found guilty by a jury of one count of attempted aggravated murder, six counts of attempted murder, eight counts of felonious assault and a single count of inducing panic for the May 31 standoff and shootout at his Oliver Street home which left one officer wounded. Each attempted murder and felonious assault charge also bore two firearm specifications; the jury found him guilty of each. Prosecutors said Robinson is facing a minimum of 17
years in prison and a maximum of 144 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced at 11 a.m. March 11 on the seventh floor of the Lorain County Courthouse, 225 Court St. in Elyria. After the first three guilty verdicts were read, Robinson quietly stood up, gathered the bible and stack of papers he had carried into the courtroom throughout the three week trial and walked to the prisoner exit door. Cook and defense attorney Reid J. Yoder attempted to convince Robinson to sit back down and hear the rest of the verdict. “You have a right to be part of your trial, sir,” Cook said. “You really need to stay here, sir. There’s no reason for you to leave.” Finally, Yoder asked the judge to allow Robinson to go and Cook obliged. He did not return during the hearing. There wasn’t a single open seat in the gallery of Cook’s courtroom as many of the 11 named victims in the case were present to hear the verdict as well Amherst police Chief Joseph Kucirek and Elyria police Chief Duane Whitely. Amherst officer Eugene (JR) Ptacek, the officer who was hit with gunfire, was not present at the verdict because he is out of town. Ptacek was working in his capacity as a door breacher with the Lorain County SWAT Team on May 31 when he was shot in the rear end. The team was attempting to serve arrest warrants on weapons charges through Cuyahoga County when Robinson refused to surrender. After an hours-long standoff, Ptacek breached the front door in an effort to toss a camera-equipped robot into the home when Robinson opened fire. The other members of the team were pinned down with gunfire as Ptacek was transported from the scene. Ptacek’s fiancée’s mother, Lenore Azok, spoke to the media after the verdicts and said she was happy with the result. “(Ptacek) has endured a lot of pain, a lot of suffering,” Azok said. “I commend the jury. They brought all of their experience, they brought a correct decision based on the facts of the case that we’ve all listened to both sides. “I think it was the correct decision, because I think Americans should appreciate how free we are we shouldn’t be shooting our police officers.”