Associated Press - April 15, 2009 7:34 PM ET
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - A Pulaski County jury has found Tracy Lee Ingle of North Little Rock guilty of felony assault charge after he pointed a pistol at officers entering his home with a no-knock warrant.
Ingle's lawyer, John Wesley Hall of Little Rock, argued in circuit court today that Ingle's actions were reasonable because he was only defending his home against intruders he believed to be robbers. According to testimony in court, Ingle was in bed when he heard a bedroom window break, grabbed a handgun, and pointed it at the window.
The officers who broke the window and entered the bedroom testified today. They said the raid was planned because an informant had told police of buying methamphetamine from someone in the house. Both officers said they identified themselves as police and fired rifles at Ingle when they saw him sitting up in bed with a handgun pointed at them. The bullets injured Ingle, who was hospitalized for 10 days.
Jurors also convicted Ingle of maintaining a drug house, as well as possessing drug paraphernalia. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison and fined $18,000.
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