City man gets 97 years in prison for shooting at cops

City man gets 97 years in prison for shooting at cops

YOUNGSTOWN — A young man convicted last week of carjacking a church secretary at gunpoint and shooting from her car in a rolling gun battle with pursuing police was sentenced today to 97 years in prison.

Judge James C. Evans of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court imposed the time on Jumal Edwards, 23, of Woodcrest Avenue, who was convicted by a jury of the aggravated robbery of the Mount Zion Church secretary, three counts of felonious assault and four counts of complicity to felonious assault with gun specifications to all counts.

The prosecution asked that he receive maximum consecutive prison sentences totaling 118 years at the sentencing hearing in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

The three felonious assault counts and the four complicity counts, one per police officer, pertain to the seven officers who were shot at from the fleeing Cadillac on July 1, 2005, on the city’s East Side. There were no injuries.

The first jury trial in this chase led to conviction of Craig Franklin Jr., 19, of Glenwood Avenue, on seven counts of felonious assault with gun specifications in August and a 105-year prison term for him.

Trials are forthcoming for two other men the prosecution alleges were in the fleeing Cadillac — Duniek Christian, 22, of North Garland Avenue, and Brandon C. Jackson, 23, of Truesdale Avenue.

For the complete story, see Saturday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.