He Stopped a Killer 100 Yards Short. It Cost Him His Life.

On October 1, 2021, Sheffield Police Sgt. Nick Risner put his patrol car into a fleeing truck to stop a man who had already killed twice that day — and stopped him short of a crowded Walmart parking lot. It cost Risner his life. He never got his weapon out of the holster.This month, a Colbert County jury convicted Brian Lansing Martin on all ten counts and unanimously voted for death.But there's a part of this story most of the coverage has skipped. Martin should never have been on the street that day. He had already killed his own father, took a manslaughter conviction, and walked out early under Alabama's "good time" law. After Risner was killed, the legislature closed that loophole — with a bill that carries his name.I spent 17 years in law enforcement, most of it as a detective and a supervisor. In this video I walk through what actually happened that afternoon, why the officers made the decisions they made, what the jury heard, and why Nick Risner's name is now written into Alabama law.CHAPTERS0:00 — The last thing between him and them0:25 — Who Brian Martin already was1:20 — The decision every cop trains for2:30 — What it cost3:10 — The verdict3:55 — The law with his name on itSOURCESTrial and verdict coverage: WAFF 48, WHNT News 19, Yellowhammer NewsArrest documents as reported by WHNT News 192022 legislative record — Sgt. Nick Risner Act, sponsored by Rep. Phillip PettusSgt. Nick Risner. Sheffield Police Department. End of watch: October 1, 2021.I cover government corruption, unsolved cases, and crimes against children. If that's your lane, subscribe.