Man Sentenced To 75 Years For Crime Spree in Crown Heights

Years after his one-night crime spree through Crown Heights in 2014, 32-year old Clinton Lawson of Jamaica, Queens has been sentenced to 75 years in prison, Acting Attorney General Eric Gonzalez announced in a statement today.

Just after 5:00 pm on July 19, 2014, Lawson shot a man inside a building on the 1300-block of Sterling Place, then fled towards Utica Avenue and Eastern Parkway, where he stole a car at gunpoint, striking the 65-year old driver with his gun.

According to the report, Lawson then crashed the vehicle into multiple parked cars at St. Johns and Kingston, where he was chased by a group of bystanders. Lawson fired two gunshots at the crowd, but no one was struck.

Reaching Brooklyn Avenue, Lawson proceeded to steal a second car at gunpoint, then subsequently crashed that vehicle as well, fleeing the scene and breaking into a house on the 800-block Sterling Place. When tenants confronted the man, he ran, only to be arrested outside.

Lawson was convicted of second-degree attempted murder and numerous counts of assault, robbery, criminal possession of a weapon, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief earlier this year.

“This defendant turned a summer evening into a frightening reign of terror, hurting and threatening innocent people, carjacking vehicles and committing a startling array of brazen acts, said Acting District Attorney Gonzalez. “Today’s sentence holds him accountable, and we hope it helps to ease some of the painful memories of that day for those whose lives were so violently and suddenly disrupted.”