DULUTH - A Duluth man was sentenced today to five years in prison for shooting a man last year who tried to stop him from harming two women wrongly accused of snitching.
Antonio Darnell Burch, 25, pleaded guilty last month to second-degree assault and to being a felon in possession of a firearm. A charge of attempted second-degree murder was dismissed under terms of the plea agreement reached with the St. Louis County Attorney's Office.
Judge Sally Tarnowski sentenced Burch in St. Louis County District Court to 60 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and 39 months in prison on the assault conviction. The sentences are to be served at the same time.
According to the criminal complaint, Markeace Canty told police that Burch had stored some illegal drugs at the residence of two women. Police executed a search warrant there. Burch believed one of the women "snitched'' on him to police and threatened to kill or beat the women. Canty said he wasn't going to let that happen.
The men ran into each other Aug. 10 on Fourth Street and agreed to fight in a nearby park. Canty brought his fists to the fight. Burch brought a gun.
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Burch fired one shot into the ground, and as Canty ran away he began firing again. One bullet grazed Canty's left forearm.
Burch fled the scene but was found by police and initially denied involvement in the shooting. Burch has a prior conviction for felony possession of cocaine with intent to sell in Wisconsin.
Burch was also fined $1,085. He was given credit for the 299 days he has already served in jail.
