For Immediate Release:
August 31, 2022
For press inquiries only, contact:
Mike Lewis (334) 353-2199
Attorney General Steve Marshall Announces Court of Criminal Appeals Upholds Conviction for Attempted Murder of Police Officers in Jackson County
(MONTGOMERY) – Attorney General Steve Marshall announced that the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals upheld the conviction of Christian James Street, 25, of Monteagle, Tennessee, for two counts of attempted murder of two police officers in Jackson County. Street was convicted in Jackson County Circuit Court on November 17, 2021, for the attempted murder of police officers Luke Ballard and Ryan McCarver.
The evidence at trial showed that on December 26, 2020, Officer Luke Ballard of the Stephenson Police Department and Officer Ryan McCarver of the Bridgeport Police Department were on patrol at approximately 2:00 a.m. when they observed a speeding vehicle and attempted to stop it. During the chase, an occupant of the speeding vehicle fired 20 shots at the officers. Police later recovered two guns from the car including a .40 caliber pistol that were found where Street had been sitting.
Jackson County District Attorney Jason Peirce’s office successfully prosecuted this case and obtained a guilty verdict. Street was sentenced to life imprisonment for his crimes. Street sought to have his conviction reversed on appeal.
“Mr. Street attempted to take the life of two law enforcement officers and was correctly found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment,” said Attorney General Marshall. “He will have a long time in prison to think about his crimes.”
The Attorney General’s Criminal Appeals Division handled the case during the appeals process, arguing for the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals to affirm Street’s conviction. The Court did so in a decision issued Friday, August 26, 2022.
Attorney General Marshall commended Assistant Attorney General Beth Poe for her successful work on this case as well as Law Clerk Lydia Maxwell. He also thanked Jackson County District Attorney Jason Pierce and his staff for their valuable assistance in defending the murder conviction.
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