On Thursday, Justin Bannan, an ex-NFL defensive lineman, was convicted to sixteen years in prison after he was found guilty of shooting a woman in Colorado in a bizarre incident back in 2019.Â
Bannan was charged with first-degree assault and attempted murder and other charges of which he was found guilty.Â
Bannan told the law enforcers that he was running from a Russian mafia gang when he accidentally shot Marie on her shoulders when she opened the door.Â
However, she believes that the former NFL player did not intend to shoot her and his actions were because he was on drugs.Â
“While Mr. Bannan’s actions have caused me serious and long-term damages, I do not believe he targeted me personally, and I believe his judgment was severely hindered by drugs, alcohol, and a myriad of football injuries.”
According to her, she firmly believes in forgiveness, restorative justice, and rehabilitation. She stated that Bannan needs to be sentenced to not less than sixteen years.Â
“I strongly believe in forgiveness, rehabilitation, and restorative justice,” she said.Â
Bannan used the insanity plea in his defense. In his defense, the injuries he sustained while playing as an NFL player affected his decision on October 16, 2019, when he shot Marie.Â
Prosecutors argued that Bannan took the drugs voluntarily, which affected him by making him paranoid.Â
According to the Colorado law, Bannan faced more than 45 years in prison. The probation division wanted a 32-year sentence, while the prosecutors requested that he face 26 years in prison for his crimes.Â
However, Marie, the victim, was the one who helped as she said that he deserves a minimum of 16 years. The court sentenced him to serve 16 years in prison.Â
After the sentencing, the district attorney claimed that the convict’s career as an NFL player was not a reason for him to shoot Marie or for him to evade his actions.Â
Bannan’s lawyer was so grateful to Marie, who helped reduce the jail time for his client. Marie understood that “the way to heal is to forgive.”
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