Swain man sentenced to federal prison after 5-hour standoff with SWAT team, shot officer

Ryley Ober, Asheville Citizen Times
·2 min read

ASHEVILLE — An enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians was sentenced March 28 to more than 16 years in federal prison after an almost 5-hour standoff with police in 2022 in which he shot and injured a law enforcement officer.

Martin Medina, 32, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina to possession of firearms by a felon, assault with intent to commit murder, and forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, and interfering with federal officers, according to a judgement obtained by the Citizen Times.

The federal court house on Otis Street
The federal court house on Otis Street

Medina was sentenced to 14 years for these crimes, along with an additional 30 months in prison for violating the terms of his federal supervised release, for a total of more than 16 years, as announced by U.S. Attorney Dena J. King of the Western District of North Carolina.

Federal probation officers and a deputy with the Cherokee Indian Police Department arrived at Medina’s residence in Swain County in the Qualla Boundary on June 14, 2022, around 1:10 p.m. to conduct a warrantless search, the news release said.

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After meeting the officers outside, Medina ran inside his residence. A federal probation officer tried to negotiate with Medina to come outside, but he did not comply, according to the release. Officers with Tribal Alcohol Law Enforcement, Tribal Natural Resources Enforcement and the Bureau of Indian Affairs arrived to assist officers.

During negotiations, law enforcement officers found shell casings in the driveway, leading officers to believe he was in possession of firearms, even though he was prohibited from possession as a previously convicted felon.

A SWAT team was called to the home, according to court records. Gunfire started coming from within the residence, and law enforcement deployed non-lethal gas into the home. Medina refused to surrender, and after more non-lethal gas was deployed, law enforcement was again met with gunfire, the release said.

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One officer sustained a non-fatal injury from the gunfire, according to the release. Medina eventually surrendered and was taken into custody at 5:51 p.m.

Court records show that following Medina’s arrest, officers executed a search warrant at Medina’s residence, seizing five firearms, including three shotguns, assorted ammunition, extended magazines loaded to capacity for all weapons, two ballistic vests, a ballistic helmet, night vision goggles, a gas mask, various fix-blade knives, suspected marijuana and several thousand dollars in cash.

Medina remains in federal custody awaiting transfer to the federal Bureau of Prisons.

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Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at rober@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @ryleyober

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Swain man sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for shooting officer