SGT. Nick Risner
Officer: Sheffield Police Department, Sergeant Nick Risner
Date: 10/2/2021 Location: Muscle Shoals, AL FACTORS (1,2,8,14,15,19,21)
Perpetrator(s) Involved: Brian Lansing Martin
Criminal Activity History/Involved: Yes, Martin has a previous manslaughter conviction for which he was sentenced to 10 years in 2013 but only served three and was released in 2016./ Yes, Martin criminally possessed a weapon, had just murdered a long-time acquaintance and was fleeing from police in a stolen vehicle.
Mental Illness: Unknown.
Substance Abuse History/Involved: Unknown./None stated.
Race/Sex/Age: White/Male/41
What prompted the initial contact with the killer? At approximately 2 p.m. on October 1, 2021, Muscle Shoals police officers responded to what they thought was a hit-and-run but ended up being a man shot and dumped out of a vehicle. After broadcasting a description of the vehicle involved, officers in neighboring Sheffield spotted the vehicle and pursued it back to a mall parking lot in Muscle Shoals. Fearing the driver, Brian Lansing Martin who was now known to be armed and dangerous, would commit more violence to shoppers, Sgt. Nick Risner conducted a PIT maneuver and brought Martin’s vehicle to a stop alongside his patrol vehicle.
Actions taken by subject toward police: After having his vehicle brought to a stop, “driver door-to-driver door” alongside the police vehicle, Martin shot Sgt. Risner and Lt. Max Dotson in their police vehicle. Sgt. Risner died from his injuries the next day and Lt. Dotson’s vest saved him from the two shots to his chest being fatal.
Reactions by the police: Lt. Dotson managed to return fire and strike Martin, injuring him so he could be taken into custody.
How murdered? Sgt. Risner was fatally shot at close range after using his vehicle to disable a wanted murderer’s vehicle during a vehicle pursuit.
What could have been done differently for the officer to still be alive? Nothing, it would be unrealistic to expect him to safely handle his weapon while also operating his vehicle into position for the PIT maneuver. Sgt. Risner bravely put himself into harm’s way by conducting the PIT maneuver upon an armed subject in order to prevent further violence to civilians in the area.
Would the officer have been justified to use deadly force before being murdered? The officers were driving so use of deadly force via a firearm would have been difficult to use accurately but was justified if Martin shot at them or tried to crash into them.
Outcome for the cop-killer: Martin was arrested and has been charged with “three counts of capital murder, two counts of attempted murder, two counts of shooting into an occupied vehicle and one count of felon in possession of a firearm.”
Miscellaneous: “This incident should have never happened because a coward who should still be in prison was walking the streets.”
