Rutledge Gets Life

A jury in Columbus recommends life in prison without parole for a man convicted of fatally shooting an Ohio SWAT officer during a standoff last year. The jury could have recommended the death penalty for Lincoln Rutledge. The jury earlier this month found the 45-year-old guilty of aggravated murder and other charges in Officer Steven Smith’s death. Rutledge shot Smith as officers were trying to arrest him on an arson warrant in April 2016. Smith died two days later. Rutledge’s defense team argues he suffers mental issues that affected his actions during the standoff, which lasted more than nine hours. The judge is expected to sentence Rutledge on July 18.