Man accused of murdering Sheffield police officer in 2021 has no court date, last court appearance in November 2023

COLBERT COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — It’s been two and a half years since Sheffield Police Sgt. Nick Risner was killed in the line of duty and another officer was wounded.

However, Brian Lansing Martin, the man accused of Risner’s murder, has no court date and has not made another court appearance since November 2023.

Morgan County judge sets religious order permanent in murder case against ex-officer

Martin is also accused of killing his friend William Mealback Jr. in Muscle Shoals in what investigators described as a fatal shooting.

It is not clear what will happen in this case.

The October 1, 2020 crime spree ended in Sheffield after Risner and other officers used their vehicles to stop the truck driven by Martin. Risner was shot and later died of his wounds, a second officer was wounded and Martin was also shot in the encounter.

Court records only give a glimpse of where things stand. Martin had a mental health evaluation ordered in November 2022 and a hearing on that evaluation in April 2023. The judge then ordered a 90-day mental health evaluation.

Former Decatur cop opposes gag order in murder trial

Alabama state mental health officials told the court in November that Martin was not competent to stand trial. But days later, the Alabama Department of Mental Health revised that opinion, saying their findings were “inconclusive” about Martin’s competency to stand trial.

Another mental health evaluation was ordered and ADMH said they expected to find Martin a bed in a state mental health facility by March or April.

There are no court records in Martin’s case since last November, and it is unclear whether he had further mental evaluation or efforts to restore his competency to stand trial.

Colbert County Jail records list him as an inmate as of Monday, June 3.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports and streaming video, go to WHNT.com.