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Jury finds teen gunman guiltyTue, 03/17/2009 - 10:43am
By: John Munford
Judge hands down 20 year sentence A Fayette County jury convicted a College Park teen this morning of pointing a gun at two Fayetteville police officers while he ran away from them behind the Tinseltown movie theater Aug. 30. Robert Eugene Crawford, who was 16 at the time and was tried as an adult, was found guilty of aggravated assault on a police officer, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and giving a false name to a police officer. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison by Superior Court Judge Johnnie L. Caldwell Jr. Both officers testified yesterday that as they chased Crawford on foot, the youth turned around and pointed a gun at them, during which time they heard a click, believed to be the gun’s trigger being pulled. The gun did not fire, and Crawford threw the gun to the side while behind the Toys R Us store, the officers said. Crawford also testified, admitting that he had the weapon to protect himself. But Crawford contended that he did not point it at the officers. Instead, Crawford said he was merely trying to throw the weapon away. Shortly after, when Crawford was cornered by the two officers, he resisted arrest and cursed at the officers even after he was in handcuffs. When asked why he did so, Crawford said it was because he felt he “hadn’t done anything wrong.” One of the officers, Jarrad Overman, demonstrated for the court how Crawford, while still running, turned his torso sideways to take aim at them. The actual gun Crawford used, a fully-loaded Glock 9mm pistol, was recovered at the scene, police said. The foot chase began after Crawford and a second person were being questioned by Officer Todd Chitwood after he saw them smoking behind the Tinseltown movie theater. Both officers testified that they feared for their life as the gun was pointed in their direction. Crawford’s defense attorney, Christopher Flinn, agreed that his client should be found guilty of giving a false name to a police officer. But he said both officers might be “mistaken” in thinking they heard the gun click, and asked the jury to acquit his client on the aggravated assault and firearm possession charges. In his closing argument, Ballard said Crawford, the son of a former Fulton County police officer, should be thanking Chitwood for not shooting him. “There is a hero,” Ballard said, pointing to Chitwood at the prosecution table. Ballard argued that not only did Crawford deserve to hear a guilty verdict, but so do the people he associates with, so they can know they can’t come to Fayette County and try to shoot at police officers. Crawford’s father, who said he trained his son how to handle a gun when he was younger, testified that he had no idea his son had a weapon. The father also testified that the $200 in cash his son had could have been leftover from the youth’s recent birthday as family members gave him cash instead of presents. login to post comments
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