Ann Arbor man convicted of multiple charges, but acquitted of attempted murder in roommate attack
An Ann Arbor man was convicted of assault and vehicle theft charges for attacking his roommate while a teenager was bound in their basement last year.
Following two days of testimony, Jerome Jopila Powell, 33, was convicted Wednesday of assault with a dangerous weapon, domestic violence and unlawfully driving away an automobile in Washtenaw County Circuit Court.
Jurors began deliberating in the morning and issued the verdict shortly after 1 p.m., officials said.
Jerome Powell
The same jury acquitted Powell of charges of attempted murder and assault with intent to commit great bodily harm less than murder. Jurors couldn't reach a verdict on one count of unlawful imprisonment.
Police arrested Powell in the Toledo area several weeks after they say he slashed the face of a 40-year-old man he shared a house with in the 600 block of West Summit Street in September 2009. Officers who responded to the scene found a 17-year-old boy in the basement with his hands and legs bound. He was not injured.
Powell’s case lingered for numerous months while he underwent mental competency reviews at the Center for Forensic Psychiatry in York Township.
He remains in custody and faces sentencing next month.
Art Aisner is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.
Comments
Davidian
Sun, Nov 21, 2010 : 7:28 p.m.
I knew Jerome in high school. He listened to death metal and carved an upside-down cross onto his arm. He later added some cuts that made it look like a weird swastika. This was unusual behavior for a black kid at Huron High School, to say the least. Dude beat up a lot of people. He was short but really muscular. He was serious about martial arts even back then. But he always carried a weapon. He had a tendency to attract large crowds of people wanting to kick the crap out of him. He was scary then and I can only imagine what he was like after serving his first prison term. Definitely not someone you want to dance with. He was always cool to me though.
jondhall
Tue, Nov 16, 2010 : 4:56 p.m.
@ Rusty:Would you prefer to be dominated by the British? Whining Liberals, I'm sure justice was served.
ezbngreen
Tue, Nov 16, 2010 : 12:10 p.m.
Atticus answer if you would; what reason a seventeen year old would be found bound by the hands and feet and found in a basement? Mr. Powell the fine upstanding citizen that he is was found guilty of "assault with a dangerous weapon, domestic violence and unlawfully driving away an automobile." Then fled to another state and had to be extradited back to Michigan. You are absolutely correct that I have far less information than those in the jury were presented with. I do however have enough information to know that I do not care to live next door or even on the same street as Mr. Powell. Truthfully I don't care to even live in the the same area as him.
rusty shackelford
Tue, Nov 16, 2010 : 9:56 a.m.
Although, Atticus F., with the Tea Party in control of our state government, I wouldn't be surprised if we hear about a new act to make the Court of Public Opinion legally binding.
Atticus F.
Mon, Nov 15, 2010 : 2:02 p.m.
ezbngreen, I'm sure that those jurors recieved alot more information than you before coming to their conclusion. The reason we have jury trials, is to prevent people like you from sending others to jail based on a couple of paragraphs in a news article.
ezbngreen
Mon, Nov 15, 2010 : 1:38 p.m.
I wonder did the 17 year old boy who was bound and found in the basement "miracle" himself there? Hmm, I wonder did the slash on the 40 year old face of the man who shared the living space with Powell come from a knife? Sounds like someone on the jury didn't think that these two incidents were of much concern.