Trial starts for man involved in ambulance shooting

ALLEN COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) - Trial proceedings started Monday for a second suspect charged in connection to the shooting of an ambulance and another vehicle following a stabbing at Piere’s Nightclub .

Dontay Martin, 23, faces four counts of attempted murder, handgun, gang and other felony criminal charges for the role he was accused of playing in the September 9, 2012 incident.

According to probable cause filed against Martin, he was an armed passenger in the car police said followed an ambulance, shooting the vehicle as it transported a stabbing victim to the hospital.  The ambulance was shot 16-20 times and a medic suffered minor injuries .

Shots were also fired at another vehicle that had been occupied by the stabbing victim’s family and friends.  The three people traveling in that car were injured when the vehicle was shot between 16 and 20 times.

The driver of the white Ford Crown Victoria carrying Martin and two other passengers told police he believed Martin fired shots at both vehicles from the rear passenger seat with a gun Martin found in the car.

Additional shots were fired by Traneilous “Neil” Jackson, 24, who sat in the front passenger seat.  Jackson pleaded guilty on January 28 to seven of nine counts including four attempted murder charges.

A jury was selected for Martin’s trial on Monday.  Twelve jurors and two alternates were chosen before proceedings ended for the day around 12:15 p.m. 

During the selection process, the prosecutor and defense attorneys both questioned potential jurors about determining levels of intent in any given situation.  Intention was said to be a common theme expected to be brought up throughout the trial which was scheduled to last four days.

Court documents indicate that police determined that Martin and at least three of the individuals in the Crown Victoria were members of the “MOB” street gang.  Police learned from interviews during the investigation that the original stabbing at Piere’s was in retaliation for previous violence against Traneilous Jackon’s brother.