WKRG News 5

Man accused of killing two, including Sheffield police officer, to appear in court Friday

COLBERT COUNTY, Ala. – An accused cop-killer is set to appear in court Friday.

Brian Lansing Martin is charged with capital murder after authorities say he shot two Sheffield police officers, killing one of them, as well as killing another man.

Court records show Martin faces ten total charges: four for capital murder, two for attempted murder, two for shooting into an occupied building, one count of felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of corpse abuse.

The 41-year-old will physically be in Judge Chad Coker’s Colbert County courtroom for his preliminary hearing Friday.

His attorney filed a number of motions after taking his case. One ensured Martin will be transported from the Morgan County Jail to his court proceedings.

Martin has been housed in the Morgan County Jail since early October for his own safety.

Meanwhile, prosecutors are expected to present evidence against Martin for those ten charges.

They say they are seeking the death penalty, and during Friday’s hearing, if Judge Coker finds probable cause in the case, it will be sent onto a grand jury.

Authorities say on October 1, Martin shot and killed his friend William Mealback, Jr., while the two were in Mealback’s truck that afternoon.

Martin then pushed his body out onto Avalon Avenue in Muscle Shoals and led officers on a chase to nearby Sheffield.

That’s when he got into a shootout behind the old Southgate Mall, ultimately killing Sheffield Police Sergeant Nick Risner and injuring Lt. Max Dotson.

Martin had also pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 2013 and was sentenced to 10 years. He was released early from prison in 2016.

News 19 will be present for Friday’s hearing, but no cameras will be allowed inside the courtroom; we will have a reporter inside the proceedings.