15-Year Sentence in Alabama Road Rage Stabbing

A case of road rage ended with a stabbing in a Selma grocery store in October 2008.  Now a Dallas County man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for that road rage and stabbing.

Robert Fitts, who was convicted of first-degree assault in the stabbing in March, has been sentenced by Circuit Judge Jack Meigs to the sentence.  Fitts was on trial for attempted murder, but the jury instead found him guilty of felony assault.  The verdict was reached Friday morning after about three hours of deliberation.  Fitts was convicted of stabbing Eldred Fuller inside the Winn-Dixie on Dallas Avenue.

According to District Attorney Michael Jackson, this all started with a traffic encounter.  Fitts thought another man, Eldred Fuller, cut him off.  They both ended up at a Selma grocery store, where their encounter kept escalating, first to words being exchanged, and then with Fitts stabbing Fuller in the stomach.

After being stabbed, Fuller was taken to a Birmingham hospital where he required two surgeries. 

Fitts claimed he acted in self-defense because he felt threatened by Fuller.  Unfortunately for him, the jury disagreed.

Dallas County Assistant District Attorney Vernetta Perkins was the lead prosecutor in the case.  She said that she feels very pleased with the verdict, that it was fair.  She also commented that she thinks it was just and the victim is pleased with the verdict and that justice has been served today.

The victim, Eldred Fuller, said that he was just pleased and ready to put everything behind me and move on with my life.

Fitts will be sentenced in about a month and could face up to 20 years in prison.

 

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