Man guilty in fatal shooting of Columbus SWAT officer faces death penalty

Lincoln Rutledge, center, was convicted by a Franklin County jury Thursday, June 22, 2017, of aggravated murder in the April 2016 death of Columbus Police SWAT officer Steve Smith.

Credit: 10tv.com WBNS

Credit: 10tv.com WBNS

Lincoln Rutledge, center, was convicted by a Franklin County jury Thursday, June 22, 2017, of aggravated murder in the April 2016 death of Columbus Police SWAT officer Steve Smith.

A Franklin County jury convicted a man today for aggravated murder in the death of a Columbus police SWAT officer in April 2016.

Lincoln Rutledge is now eligible for the death penalty, our media partner 10tv.com WBNS in Columbus reported.

Prosecutors said SWAT officers were trying to arrest Rutledge for setting his estranged wife’s home on fire but Rutledge refused to come out of his apartment, resulting in a nine-hour standoff.

Officers testified that Rutledge fired shots at SWAT officers. One bullet struck officer Steve Smith in the head and he died two days later, the station reported.

The jury found Rutledge guilty of two counts of aggravated murder, one count of aggravated arson, two counts of attempted murder and four counts of felonious assault. Rutledge was acquitted of two charges of attempted murder. The jury began deliberating Tuesday afternoon after five days of testimony.

The sentencing phase of the trial begins Monday.

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