COLUMBUS (AP) — A jury has recommended a life sentence with no chance of parole for the man who killed two Westerville police officers responding to a 911 hang-up call.
Quentin Smith was convicted Nov. 1 of two counts of aggravated murder for fatally shooting officers Eric Joering and Anthony Morelli in February 2018.
Franklin County prosecutors said Smith killed the officers in an exchange of gunfire after opening his apartment door. Smith was shot five times.
Defense attorney Frederick Benton didn’t dispute that Smith shot the officers, but said it happened in “a moment of chaos, panic and crisis.”
The jury recommended life Wednesday instead of a death sentence. Judge Richard Frye will formally sentence Smith in about two weeks. He can’t override the jury.