Colbert County Judge Imposes Death Penalty On Martin

A Colbert County judge sentenced Brian Martin to death on Monday for the 2021 killing of Sheffield Police Sgt. Nick Risner. The court imposed the punishment on Oct. 26 after a jury returned a unanimous recommendation in September.

Risner, 40, was shot during a pursuit on Oct. 1, 2021. He died the next morning at Huntsville Hospital. A K-9 handler and a nine-year veteran of the Sheffield Police Department, he had been pursuing Martin regarding the shooting death of Martin's former roommate, William Mealback Jr. Police found Mealback's body on Avalon Avenue in Muscle Shoals.

Jurors reviewed dashcam footage that captured Martin firing five shots toward Risner's vehicle. Witnesses also testified that they saw Martin shooting at the officer.

Martin's defense focused on his mental state. He told the court he believed people were following him and intended harm, adding that he recalled little of the pursuit. Prosecutors disputed his account. The jury convicted him in September before recommending death.

Colbert County District Attorney Hal Hughston addressed the sentence in a statement. "Today's sentence represents justice and accountability for the murder of Sergeant Nick Risner," Hughston said.

The case brought renewed attention to Martin's prior record. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 2011 death of his father and received a 10-year sentence. Released in 2016, he had served just over three years of that term.

Risner's death led lawmakers to restrict correctional incentive credits, known as "good time." Gov. Kay Ivey signed the Sergeant Nick Risner Act in April 2022. State Rep. Phillip Pettus (R-Killen) sponsored HB143. "All this bill says is that if you kill somebody you do not get the good time," Pettus said.

Inmates convicted of causing a death with a deadly weapon cannot earn credits that reduce their sentences. Martin still faces a separate trial in the Mealback case.