Lorain man shot by police going to prison for 5 years on robbery charges

A Lorain man is headed to prison for at least five years after pleading guilty to robbery and other felony charges for an incident last fall that ended when he was shot and wounded by police. Lorain County Common Pleas Judge Melissa Kobasher on Monday sentenced Dustin Terry, 26, to a minimum of five years in prison. Terry agreed not to seek early release and will get credit for 227 days already served in jail. Terry pleaded guilty July 15 to aggravated robbery, robbery, breaking and entering and obstructing official business charges, all felonies, and firearm specifications. A plea agreement with the Lorain County Prosecutor's Office meant Terry avoided a maximum sentence of 15 to 20½ years in prison if convicted. Under state law, he could serve up to six years if he doesn't behave in prison. Lorain police Officer Isaiah Taylor shot Terry four times on Oct. 7 after Terry allegedly pointed a gun at officers chasing him from the scene of a car break-in. Former county prosecutor J.D. Tomlinson ruled the shooting justified based on an investigation by the Elyria Police Department. Co-defendant Sienna Plaza, 29, also of Lorain, also pleaded guilty July 15 to aggravated robbery, robbery and a firearms specification for the same incident. She agreed to serve three years in prison with no early judicial release, and will be officially sentenced Sept. 8. Lorain police responding to a 911 call of an armed man dressed in black breaking into a car on the 1300 block of West 17th Street on Oct. 7 found Plaza in a nearby parked car. As they spoke with her, Terry appeared, refused to drop his gun and ran. Terry was shot with a Taser device that didn't work. Taylor then shot Terry after Terry allegedly pointed his gun at another officer.