Man sentenced to four years behind bars for shooting to death drunk robber in self-defense after the robber opened fire on him

The legal system in United States has proven to have double standards and we often see how some people are sometimes found guilty and spend years in prison, while others walk free for the same or similar case. This has just happened in today’s story where man was found guilty for shooting to death drunk robber in self-defense.

According to police reports, the incident happened back in September 2019 when the now sentenced, identified as the now 40-year-old D. Woodland, shot to death the alleged robber, the 20-year-old D. Williams, when the latter allegedly tried to rob him.

The investigation has revealed that in the Illinois incident Williams was drunk and high on methamphetamine. The incident was recorder on surveillance camera and the footage was brough in court as an evidence.

Woodland in multiple occasions tried to prove that Williams’ intensions were to rob him as soon as he arrived in front of a building where illegal gambling party was set to take place. According to Woodland, the victim was so high that he could barely stand on his feet and he pointed to the video claiming just that.

After a short argument, Williams was the first to shoot his handgun and hit Woodland in his leg. Woodland then took his handgun and shot the victim to death. The whole incident was clearly shown on the footage that was obtained by the investigators.

According to the court records, this was not the first time for Woodland to have been involved in such an incident. In 2008, he was initially charged with murder and aggravated battery with a firearm, but in a later court hearing he was only charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon after the prosecutors couldn’t find enough evidence against him for the previous charges.

According to the court records from 2018, a jury found him guilty and he was sentenced to eight years in prison in December 2008.

On a court hearing that took place on July 16, 2021, Woodland pleaded guilty to an amended charge of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. Other two charges against him were dismissed by the judge.

When the court process started, Woodland was represented by his first lawyer, but he decided to dismiss him in April when he was not happy with the plea agreement his lawyer negotiated. He then decided to hire another lawyer who managed to negotiate another, better plea deal for Woodland who has been sentenced to four years in prison earlier this month.

“Mr. Williams begins firing at this other individual (Woodland) who then produced his own handgun and returns fire, subsequently striking Mr. Williams, who fell to the ground,” Det. Jason K. had told a coroner’s jury at an inquest in November 2019.

From one perspective, Woodland used his firearm in self-defense and everything would have looked good if Williams wasn’t at the scene. But from the jury’s perspective and taking into consideration that Woodland is a known offender with a crime record and previous jail time, the footage couldn’t prove Williams’ intensions to rob his as he claimed.