Man Pleads Guilty to Shooting Trooper

Fayetteville, N.C. — A Virginia man has pleaded guilty to shooting a North Carolina Highway Patrol trooper during a traffic stop in November 2005.

Marvin Bell Johnson, 41, pleaded guilty to attempted murder for the attack in which Trooper J.C. Horniak was shot five times. Johnson was sentenced to serve at least 20 years, 11 months in prison, and the sentence will begin after he finishes a 10-year sentence he already is serving on a weapons charge stemming from the incident.

Horniak, nearly a six-year veteran, was wearing a bullet-proof vest when he stopped a vehicle in the southbound lanes of Interstate 95 in Cumberland County on Nov. 28, 2005, authorities said. Horniak was stopping the car after noticing the license tag was halfway detached and in danger of falling off the vehicle, authorities said.

As Horniak approached Johnson, shots were fired and Horniak was hit at least five times in the chest, authorities said. Authorities credited the bullet-proof vest with saving his life.

Johnson, who previously served time for second-degree murder and still faces a murder charge in Virginia, was arrested a short time later at a nearby motel.

Horniak, 31, returned to duty last November.

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Latest Comments

NOT ENOUGH TIME! We should show our troopers more honor than that! What if the trooper had not been wearing the vest? This should have been a life sentence without parole! This should be an automatic sentence for anyone showing malice to our uniformed people!

Lulli
March 12, 2007 12:55 p.m.

I am liberal, usually vote Democratic, and think the man should spend life in prison for his combined crimes. I am not sure why at least one person here claims that my political inclinations mean that I want state troopers dead.

I would like to see more of what is called "restorative justice," in which imprisoned people are employed in such a way that their work helps people and communities in need. Imagine if their work (which could not be done in such a way as to threaten private enterprise) were to feed the hungry, heal the sick, and clothe the cold?

anneonymousone
March 12, 2007 11:57 a.m.

Ash - just for informational purposes N.C. was under the "fair sentence act" where a convict would get 2 days credit for each day served as long as they didnt recieve any disciplinary actions against them called "good time"if they worked in the prison they could earn another day "gain time" so they could get 3 off for each day served. this has not been the case since the mid 90's, thankfully. we are now under the "truth in sentencing Act"

nc_copper1993
March 11, 2007 9:08 a.m.

Katmama - boy i can tell you really pay attnetion to the stance of the political parties!!??

Lizard Paw
March 10, 2007 2:49 p.m.

Why attack Libs/Dems on this matter. Even if convicts are allowed to vote, you don't know if they will vote Rep/Dem/or Lib. Giving them the right to vote could help Reps just as much as any other party. We don't know, we just assume. And we all know what (ass)uming does to a person.