Benwood Fire Chief Sentenced For Armed Standoff
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Garson Taylor, the Benwood fire chief found guilty of three misdemeanors stemming from a standoff with police officers on April 10, was sentenced to serve a year for each of these counts concurrently by 2nd Judicial Circuit Court Judge Charles Wilson.
A suspended sentence from Wilson brought down the total time Taylor will serve to 270 days in jail, having to serve a year of parole afterward. The three misdemeanor charges of brandishing a firearm, fleeing from an officer in a vehicle and obstructing an officer each carry a year sentence with them that Taylor will now serve 270 days for in the Northern Regional Jail
In addition to the jail time and probation, Taylor was charged a $500 fine for the charge of fleeing from an officer.
In reference to the three-year sentence the prosecution requested and the sentences of probation the defense argued for, Wilson summarized before delivering his verdict on Wednesday, "The right answer may lie at either extreme or somewhere in the middle."
"Having listened to every one of the law enforcement officers during the trial, their training, skill and, most importantly, their judgment have allowed a man who is a loved and respected father, son, grandson, nephew and cousin to be alive today," said Wilson. "Dovetailing into that, Mr. Taylor is a first responder, and his work and efforts, not only as a first responder but as a caring person, should be respected and appreciated by the community at large."