A Franklin County jury has rejected Q'Juantez Poole's claims that he acted in self-defense to protect himself and his brother during a 2020 exchange of gunfire that led to one person dead and two wounded.
Around 12:30 a.m. Oct. 7, 2020, Poole and his 27-year-old brother, Quintez Poole, exchanged gunshots with 26-year-old Dontey Wiley, who suffered wounds he later died from. A then-23-year-old woman with Wiley inside a car was grazed by a bullet, while Quintez Poole suffered multiple gunshot wounds to his groin area, which he survived.
After a week-long trial, the jury on Friday found Poole, 23, of the Northwest Side, guilty of five felony counts including murder, attempted murder and felonious assault.
Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Kimberly Cocroft will sentence Q'Juantez Poole on March 9. He faces a minimum sentence of 23 years to life in prison.
His brother, Quintez Poole, 27, is also charged with murder, attempted murder and felonious assault for the same incident and his case is pending. A previous jury trial of Quintez Poole in August ended in a mistrial before closing arguments. Quintez is scheduled to go to trial on March 13.
Who shot first is the big question attorneys argued about during Q'Juantez Poole's trial.
Security camera video from 27-year-old Quintez Poole's Northeast Side apartment complex in the 5800 block of Arborwood Drive captures some of what happened, but not all the important details.
Wiley, in the driver's seat, and the woman were sitting in a car outside for a lengthy period of time. Q'Juantez Poole testified during his trial that his older brother called him, concerned that the people in the car were there to hurt him. The video shows Q'Juantez Poole driving up, Quintez Poole getting inside Q'Juantez Poole's car, and driving away.
After about two minutes, the Poole brothers drive back to Wiley's car and gunfire is exchanged for about six seconds, the video shows.
More on self-defense in Ohio:How Ohio laws make it easier to claim self-defense in cases like Sinzae Reed's death
Poole's defense attorney, Joseph R. Landusky II, argued at trial that Wiley began shooting first. Franklin County prosecutors argued the Pooles shot first.
Columbus police were called to the scene and found Wiley with multiple bullet wounds in his left side. Wiley was taken to OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Around 12:45 a.m., the Poole brothers arrived at Dublin Methodist Hospital's emergency room with Quintez Poole seriously injured.
Columbus police detectives said at the time Q'Juantez Poole told them he "should have just driven off" while admitting he emptied a 16-round magazine from a 9mm handgun into the driver's side of Wiley's car.
Landusky said his client will be appealing the jury's verdict.
"It's a difficult situation. We have a little brother who's never been in trouble called his older brother to come help him out, who's freaking out and believes these people are out to hurt him," Landusky said. "My client did what he had to do."
Prosecutors declined to comment to The Dispatch.
jlaird@dispatch.com
@LairdWrites
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Jury finds Columbus man who claimed self-defense guilty of 2020 murder
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