Men who ambushed local officers headed to prison
CANTON, Ohio (WJW) – Braylen Smallwood and Treizion Allen entered the Stark County courtroom of Judge Kristin Farmer, having pleaded guilty on Friday to multiple charges including aggravated murder.
The charges arise from an incident on June 29 last year which police and the county prosecutor have described as an ambush on two detectives who were investigating an unrelated incident on 12th Street in Canton.
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At least 14 shots were fired, one of them grazing one of the detectives.
Both of them addressed Smallwood and Allen in a courtroom overflowing with other officers who were there to show support on Tuesday.
“They decided they were willing to end the lives of two people and take them from their friends and families. I thank God every day that nobody was seriously injured. I thank God that their planned intention of killing us failed and they failed,” said Matthew Thomas.
“Myself and other detectives have listened to hundreds of jail calls placed by these two since their initial incarceration in June of last year. They have continued to show no remorse for their actions. Mr. Smallwood has expressed he feels we should apologize to him and Mr. Allen has called himself a celebrity and bragged about his standing in the county jail to multiple women and fellow gang members, even going so far as creating t-shirts with his wanted picture from the initial news articles. An example needs to be set that these actions are not OK,” he added.
“I’m going to use my time to thank the men and women who worked hard on this case. I want to thank the people who showed up and who laced up. I am forever grateful and to the people who think shooting at the police is OK and condone violence against the police, let it be a reminder that you are wrong.” said Detective Mike Herrera.
Both of the detectives as well as the court agreed to a previously negotiated sentence of 20 years for each of the defendants.
But both Smallwood and Allen had family members speak on their behalf asking the court for some mercy.
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“First off, I want to apologize to the detectives on behalf of my son. This situation could have played out in so many ways. Officers could have got hurt, my son could have got hurt,” said Brandy Smallwood, Braylen’s mother.
“He was at the wrong place at the wrong time and I apologize. It was a tragic mistake, but I know that he didn’t purposely do it,” she told the court.
Smallwood’s attorney, Gina Kuhlman, showed the court photos of her client when he graduated from high school and with his newborn daughter two years ago.
“He’s being described as trying to murder cops. I don’t believe that this young man had any idea these were police officers. They were unmarked cars, did not announce themselves as police officers, did not look like police officers. They looked like gang thugs,” Kuhlman told the court.
“I believe with all my heart he didn’t mean to attempt to kill anybody. He didn’t wake up that morning and, ‘I’m going to go kill a cop.’ He didn’t wake up that morning and say, ‘I’m going to kill anybody,’ but he made a horrible, horrible choice to pick up that gun and shoot,” she added.
Allen’s Aunt, Tamara Robinson, questioned the fairness of the sentence to which both men agreed.
“If these two young men were white instead of Black, would the sentence be the same? Let us all ponder on that, however we all know the answer is no,” said Robinson
Both Smallwood and Allen also spoke, each apologizing to the two detectives.
“On that day, June 29, I didn’t know it was officers pulling up on us that day. We were on our way to a funeral. We didn’t wake up thinking hopefully we run into these two people or hopefully we run into any type of cops,” said Allen.
“We were on our way to a funeral, the first time leaving the house that whole day. Never had the intention of causing no harm to nobody,” he said, telling the court that in previous encounters with officers there was no aggression towards them on his behalf.
“I just want to make it known that we did not know that those two were the unmarked vehicle, were the officers. I want to apologize to them because I really feel like we (did not know there were) officers in that vehicle,” said Smallwood.
“Me and co-defendant were both in fear for our lives. We didn’t know who it was in that unmarked vehicle. My firearm is in my name, so I was just in fear of my life and I just took action but I do want to apologize to the officers,” he concluded.
Judge Farmer, however, accepted the agreed sentence on charges that also included firearms specifications, criminal gang specifications and additional charges of felonious assault, tampering with evidence and charges against Allen that included having weapons under disability.
“The court finds that this case reflects an increasing concern in this community that is criminal gang activity that seeks to undermine the sanctity of the principles of law and order upon which this country was built,” said Judge Farmer before officially passing sentence.
“The sentence in this case must not only reflect the community’s intolerance to such conduct, but must serve to deter others from engaging in it,” she added.
County Prosecutor Kyle Stone, who told FOX 8 he knows both of the families, called the sentence fair.
“One of the things that when I was elected to office, fairness,” he told FOX 8 following the sentencing
“That’s one thing that I don’t tolerate is unfairness and lopsidedness. Especially as an African American male, especially as the elected county prosecutor, it has been a priority to me to ensure that we are consistent across the board with what we are expecting and asking the court to impose when the facts and circumstances are similar,” said Stone
“Not only is there a zero tolerance for gun violence, but you can’t ambush the police whether you knew it or didn’t know it. That’s unacceptable and so hopefully it serves notice that there are consequences to your actions and you must be willing to take responsibility,” Stone added.
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