A Columbia man was found guilty Thursday of attempted second-degree murder after police said he engaged a Howard County SWAT team in a shootout.
A jury found Delcarlos Johnnie Jacobs, 22, guilty of attempted second-degree murder against one officer and assault on 14 officers. The attempted murder charge carries a penalty of up to 30 years in prison. The assault charges carry a maximum penalty of five years incarceration.
The jury acquitted Jacobs of the most serious charge: attempted first-degree murder.
During Jacobs? trial, which began Monday, attorneys said that nearly 20 members of Howard County police?s SWAT team fired 29 rounds at Jacobs, but missed him.
Police allege that Jacobs provoked the shooting at 11:30 p.m. Feb. 1 by raising a rifle he was holding at the officers and firing it ? a claim Jacobs has repeatedly denied.
In their charging documents, five officers said they either saw a flash from the rifle or heard Jacobs fire at them.
But Jacobs? attorney said the officers? story is unbelievable because no bullet or shell from Jacobs? gun was ever found. He said the officers were hyped up on adrenaline and have five different, conflicting accounts of the incident.
Howard County Circuit Court Judge Dennis Sweeney will sentence Jacobs Nov. 30.
