Scotland County, North Carolina — Rusty Devon Strickland, 40, was sentenced to 28 to 35 years in jail Friday afternoon for shooting a man trying to protect a woman in Scotland County in February 2022, according to court officials.
After a week-long trial, the jury convicted Strickland guilty.
According to officials, he was convicted of possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious damage with intent to kill, strangling, assault in the presence of a juvenile, and attempted first-degree murder.
According to deputies, Strickland kicked in the door and began beating the homeowner when a worker working at the house heard screams inside and “went to check out what was going on.”
According to officers, the man yelled for Strickland to stop. At this point, Strickland approached the man with a gun and began shooting bullets.
The man was hit once in the leg and drove himself to the hospital.
The individual was expected to fully recover.