ELIZABETHTOWN — An Elizabethtown man is going to prison for up to 19 years after pleading guilty in Bladen County Superior Court to two counts of attempted murder and one count of assault on a law enforcement officer.
Dennis Windell Marshall, 30, was sentenced by Judge Mary Ann Tally to serve no less than 180 months and up to 228 months in prison.
The incident took place Feb. 13, 2016, at about 1 a.m. during a traffic stop near the intersection of King and South Poplar streets in Elizabethtown. Bladen County sheriff’s deputy David Schmale Jr. initiated the stop when he noticed a Ford Explorer run a red light. During the stop, Schmale learned that Marshall was wanted on drug charges in another jurisdiction and Schmale attempted to arrest Marshall.
A struggle began and, when Marshall freed himself, he reached into the Explorer and grabbed a handgun. Schmale managed to grab Marshall’s arm and, as the two fought over control of the weapon, Elizabethtown police officer Blake Bryan arrived to assist.
Marshall broke free with the gun and fired at Bryan, but missed. Both Schmale and Bryan returned fire and struck Marshall a number of times.
About a month after the incident, Bladen County District Attorney Jon David ruled that Schmale and Bryan had been justified in the use of their weapons.