Lynchburg man gets nine years in shooting case

By Justin Faulconer jfaulconer@newsadvance.com 20 hrs ago



Thompson

A Lynchburg man facing charges from a December shooting was sentenced to nine years in prison Thursday.

Eric Lamont Thompson, 32, was arrested Jan. 7 and charged with attempted malicious wounding, shooting in a public place, reckless handling of a firearm and possessing a firearm as a violent felon. At a hearing Thursday in Lynchburg Circuit Court, Thompson pleaded guilty to all four counts, according to online court records.

Judge F. Patrick Yeatts sentenced Thompson to a year on the attempted malicious wounding, five years on the possession count and three years on an additional probation violation charge. He also has 11 years of suspended jail time, records show.... He was charged Dec. 8, when prosecutor Kelsey Brown said during a January bond hearing he and another man at Champions got into a “screaming match” which then moved to a Waffle House restaurant.

She said Thompson exited the Waffle House, got into a car and shot at the other man. Thompson’s charges indicate no one was injured, but Brown said the restaurant was occupied at the time and struck by bullets.... Brown said at the bond hearing in Lynchburg General District Court the incident was caught on two surveillance cameras and witnesses at the scene identified Thompson.

Brown said at the bond hearing Thompson is an 11-time convicted felon who recently finished serving a sentence on drug distribution and firearm charges and should’ve been on supervised probation at the time of the shooting. She questioned Thompson about his tattoos and his history as a gang member.

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News & Advance reporter Rachel Mahoney contributed. Reach Justin Faulconer at (434) 385-5551.