A 27-year-old Akron man pleaded guilty Friday to shooting and killing 20-year-old Elijah Jones, who had just broken into his home and stolen drugs and weapons, the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office announced in a news release.
Stacy Martin pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, a 3-year firearm specification, having weapons under disability and obstructing justice. In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors dismissed the counts of tampering with evidence and trafficking marijuana.
Shooting: 20-year-old man shot and killed Saturday night in Firestone Park identified
Summit County Common Pleas Judge Joy Malek Oldfield will sentence Martin at 11:15 a.m. May 19.
Attorneys Michael Callahan and Joseph Gorman represent Martin.
“Ohio’s self-defense laws are not designed to protect a person that shoots a fleeing individual who no longer presents an imminent threat,” Summit County Prosecutor Elliot Kolkovich said in the news release. “I want to thank the Akron Police Department for their diligent investigation in uncovering the facts of this incident.”
Prosecutors noted in the news release that self-defense only applies when “a person reasonably believes they are facing an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm.” The use of force must be “reasonable and proportionate to the threat faced.”
What led to the shooting?
The incident began at Martin’s home on the 1800 block of Coventry Street before 11:30 p.m. Aug. 10, when four masked people, including Jones, forcefully entered the home through the front door, prosecutors said.
They stole firearms and drugs before attempting to leave through the front door. As they fled, Jones fell, but as he got up, Martin fatally shot him in the back.
Martin then hid the gun and attempted to lie to law enforcement, saying he was not at home during the altercation.
Bryce Buyakie covers courts and public safety for the Beacon Journal. He can be reached by email at bbuyakie@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @bryce_buyakie.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Stacy Martin pleads guilty in death of Akron man fleeing after robbery