ELYRIA – Despite being cleared of murder and other charges stemming from the 2007 shooting death of Gary Young Jr., Lamont Tarpley will spend another six months behind bars on a weapons charge.

This morning, Lorain County Common Pleas Judge Raymond Ewers gave Tarpley, 26, a year behind bars for illegally possessing a firearm. Tarpley has been in the county jail since the July 26, 2007, shooting, but eight of the 14 months he’s been in custody were for violating his probation on a cocaine possession case.

Tarpley testified during his trial earlier this month that he shot Young – who had been released from prison eight days earlier – in self defense after Young came toward him with his fist raised as if to strike him.

Young and several relatives had become upset with Tarpley for crossing Elyria Avenue in Lorain too slowly and turned their pickup around and jumped out of the truck to confront him. They ended up in a fight with Calixto Ramos II and Tarpley testified he got the gun to force the three men beating Ramos to leave him alone.

Young’s family, who were outraged when the jury cleared Tarpley of murder last week, did not attend today’s sentencing.

For more details on this story, see Wednesday’s edition of The Chronicle.

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