One of the worst chapters in the history Hampton Hills has finally come to a close with the conviction of Marisela Villa on May 4. Deliberating for a little more than two hours, a Dallas County jury found her guilty of aggravated assault of a peace officer and two counts of drug possession with the intent to deliver.
Villa shot Dallas SWAT team Lt. Carlton Marshall in the neck during an early morning raid on Oct. 17, 2007. Dallas police had teamed with federal authorities to serve a warrant at the home of Villa’s boyfriend in the 1100 block of Hollywood Avenue. Clayton Sharpless was convicted drug dealing for his part in a multimillion-dollar methamphetamine and cocaine distribution ring that delivered drugs from large-scale dealers to lower-level dealers and laundered money exchanged between them. Sharpless is serving a 20-year sentence in a federal prison.
Marshall contracted meningitis after he was shot and then suffered a stroke. The high dosage of antibiotics used to treat the meningitis cause deafness. He now has cochlear implants to hear and must use a motorized wheelchair.
The incident began when federal officers requested and received what is called a “no-knock” warrant from a judge, authorizing the surprise raid. The tactic is meant to give dangerous suspects no time to grab weapons or destroy evidence.
