Men get prison time in shooting
Published 10:03 am Saturday, October 3, 2009
COURTLAND—Two Franklin men have been sentenced and four more await trial in connection with a September 2008 shooting that left one man critically injured.
Vernon Winstead, 20, received an active sentence of 25 years in Southampton County Circuit Court on Tuesday on charges of aggravated malicious wounding, attempted robbery, use of a firearm in the commission of aggravated malicious wounding and use of a firearm in the commission of attempted robbery.
Dominick Smallwood, 21, pleaded guilty to charges of attempted robbery, aggravated malicious wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of attempted robbery and discharging a firearm in public. He was sentenced to 12 years and 2 months in prison in July for his role in the case.
Anterrio Bradley, 21, Duray Hudson, 21, and Jadon Artis, 19, all of Franklin, had their trials continued until Oct. 22. Another suspect, 20-year-old Daremus Lewis of Newport News, had his trial continued until Nov. 12.
Winstead and Bradley were both arrested last October after a police raid at Bradley’s home on Washington Street. Police seized a 9 mm handgun, marijuana and narcotics equipment associated with the distribution of drugs.
During the raid a large crowd assembled on Washington Street, and Artis was spotted in the crowd and taken into custody.
Hudson was arrested later that night at the police station and Lewis was arrested in Newport News by that city’s police and sent back to Franklin.
The men were all charged in connection with the Sept. 30, 2008, shooting of Timothy Warren of Franklin. Warren was found by police in the 400 block of Washington Street, bleeding heavily from several gunshot wounds, according to police spokesman Lt. Tim Whitt.
At the time, police said that the shooting may have been gang-related.