Jamie Hood convicted of 2011 police officer slaying

A jury in Athens, Ga., today convicted a man in the March 2011 shooting death of a police officer, according to various news outlets.

Jamie Hood was acquitted of other charges, but still could face the death penalty for his role in the shooting death of Athens-Clarke County Police Officer Elmer “Buddy” Christian. He was also convicted of shooting and wounding a second officer, Tony Howard.

Hood admitted to shooting Christian, but says he fired in self-defense and did not intend to kill the officer. Hood testified he shot after hearing the voice of his brother, who was killed years earlier by police, according to reports.

“I hated killing the man,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution quoted Hood as saying of Christian. “I been telling (people) for years I didn’t mean to do it.”

Following the shootings of Howard and Christian, Hood took several people hostage. Authorities eventually went on television to assure Hood he wouldn’t be harmed if he surrendered, which he did four days after the shootings.

Hood and prosecutors gave their closing arguments on Saturday, and jurors deliberated for about four hours before rendering their verdict. Hood, according to WAGA-TV, told jurors he shouldn’t be allowed to walk.

“I’m not asking y’all to let me go. I’m not,” the television station quoted him as saying. “How could I? How could I? I can’t ask you to let me go — might set a bad example if y’all let me go. So more folks go kill a police — ‘Jamie got away with it; we can get away with it.’ Can’t do it.”