Statewide Iowa — The jury took around two-and-a-half hours Monday to reach a verdict in the trial of 42-year-old Michael Lang of Grundy Center. Lang was accused of shooting and killing Sergeant Jim Smith during a standoff last April.
Lang was also convicted on two other charges for shooting at a police vehicle and for the assault on a Grundy Center Police officer which started the chain of events.
Lang will be sentenced to life in prison and will be held without bail until sentencing. The proceedings ended soon after the verdicts were read.
The attorneys will discuss a sentencing date with the judge. The trial was held in Hamilton County at the courthouse in Webster City due to publicity about the case.
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Statewide Iowa — The jury is now deliberating the fate of Michael Lang — the Grundy Center man accused of shooting and killing State Trooper Jim Smith last April.
Prosecutor Douglas Hammerand said in his closing that this is a straightforward case.
Lang is charged with first-degree murder in Trooper Smith’s death. Hammerand told the jury the shooting was premeditated.
He says there is ample proof Lang shot Smith intending to kill him.
Defense attorney Aaron Hawbaker argued the killing does not rise to first-degree murder.
He said Lang could have shot at officers many times during the standoff — but did not.
Hawbaker said Lang was expecting a dog to come into the kitchen where he sat and reacted by shooting when Sergeant Smith appeared with a gun.
Lang is also charged with an attempt to commit murder for firing at a police vehicle, and assault on a peace officer for an attack on a Grundy Center officer which started the series of events that led to Trooper Smith’s death.
