A federal jury has sentenced 30-year-old Daryl Lawrence to death for shooting and killing a Columbus police officer. Lawrence was convicted of killing 33-year-old Bryan Hurst during a botched bank robbery last January. Hurst was working special duty at a Fifth Third Bank on East Broad Street when Lawrence shot him in the heart. Hurst's widow Marissa says she is pleased with the verdict.
But Lawrence's attorneys say they are confused by the decision. Lawrence was sentenced to life in prison for murder while committing a bank robbery, but was sentenced to death for another count of murder with a firearm. Defense attorney Kort Gatterdam says there shouldn't be multible verdicts because there was only one victim.
Gatterdam also says Lawrence didn't intend to kill anyone when he entered the bank. He says Lawrence only returned fire after Officer Hurst shot first. Prosecutors disagree, and say Lawrence robbed three other banks during the same year. Defense attorneys says they will appeal the sentence.
