Yesterday a Colorado jury found a truck driver guilty of attempted murder and assault for shooting a UPS employee at the Sapp Brothers truck stop in Commerce City last year.
The jury deliberated for less than three hours before returning a guilty verdict on charges of attempted second-degree murder and first-degree assault for 66 year old truck driver Byron Wayne Linton.
According to court documents, the shooting happened during an argument at the truck stop on October 29, 2015.
Trucker Waiting To Weigh Load Confronts UPS Employee
Investigators say that 24 year old UPS employee Keith Williams was still in uniform and was airing up the tires on his personal vehicle at the truck stop. Linton pulled up in a Peterbilt with a car trailer attached wanting to weigh his load.
Linton is said to have gotten out of his truck to confront Williams. During the ensuing argument, Linton pulled out a firearm and shot Williams in the stomach.
DA Says Trucker “Gives Gun Owners A Bad Name”
Linton argued in court that he was frightened during the confrontation and didn’t mean to pull the trigger, but the prosecution argued that Linton was an experienced gun owner who held a conceal and carry permit for ten years.
Deputy District Attorney Alex Baker says that Linton’s actions “give gun owners a bad name.” He said, “This was a young black man in his UPS uniform minding his own business. The defendant gunned down Keith Williams like a cowboy and calmly reholstered his gun. He didn’t look. He didn’t fumble. It was just like in the movies. This was not accidental.”
Linton’s sentencing is scheduled for January 12.
Sources:
The Denver Post
CBS Denver