Twelve Hour Standoff
By: Nicole Torres
Ohio resident, Wade Winn, has been sentenced to life in prison after killing Deputy Bill Brewer last February. Mr. Winn had called the police saying that there was an intruder in his house robbing him. Police responded finding nothing. He called again saying that he was having suicidal thoughts and that he was going to kill himself. Once police arrived at his house, they attempted to talk Mr. Winn out of harming himself. A single gunshot was heard. Police, believing that Mr. Winn had committed suicide entered the room to determine what had occurred. This is when Mr. Winn opened fire at them. He was able to shoot 2 officers, 1 being Deputy Brewer. The other unnamed officer was not fatally injured.
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At the trial for Mr. Winn, his attorney, Gregory Meyers, told Judge Anthony Brock that Wade took large amounts of cocaine and LSD which led him to believe the police were someone or something else, as his mind was unstable at the time and tricking him into seeing things that were not there. "These officers responded to Mr. Winn's call for assistance, tried to convince him not to kill himself, tried to offer aid when they thought that he had shot himself and were lured into an ambush.” said Judge Brock. Judge Brock determined that Mr. Winn’s direct actions killed Deputy Brewer. Even though he took drugs daily, police do not know the real reason why Mr. Winn called them to his house and opened fire at them. "With no explanation why Mr. Winn chose to murder one police officer and tried to murder six others, I have no reason to think he wouldn't do it again if given the chance.” said Judge Brock. It is evident that Mr. Winn was not in his right mind at the time of this event. Of course, had he not been taking drugs, this event may or may not still have happened and Mr. Winn would or would not be in prison. Mr. Winn’s mental capacity needs to be determined. By taking a plea deal, Mr. Winn avoided the death penalty. He will now serve 115 years in prison. The sentence also includes no chance of parole. After the plea agreement had been reached, a press conference was held by Sheriff Steve Leahy. The sheriff stated that “anyone who kills a police officer should receive the death penalty.” County Chief Criminal Prosecutor Darren Miller intended for Wade to have the death penalty. Death penalties can take a very long time to process and possibly decades to complete. "To spare Bill's family and my office the pain and suffering of sitting through a graphic trial and years of appeals that would certainly come, I feel this was the best choice," Leahy said. For many, they must have wanted Mr. Winn to receive the death penalty. Now that he was given the plea deal, he will have to suffer 115 years in prison, never again being a free man. Winn has been in prison for almost 8 months. He will have to live with his guilt. With the time he has, he can reflect on his actions while he is in prison. Condolences to Deputy Brewer’s family and police office.
