Troy man sentenced for fatal Albany shooting
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ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- 22-year-old Paul Smith was sentenced before Judge Thomas Marcelle on Monday to 21 years in state prison for his role in the death of Javon Ward in Albany, the Albany County District Attorney's Office (ACDA) announced. The Troy man accepted a plea deal in January after initially pleading not guilty in June 2024.
Smith and his codefendant, Daquan Arrington, both previously admitted to firing off 19 gunshots from their vehicle while driving near Second and Quail Streets in Albany early in the morning on June 5, 2024. The bullets struck three victims, including 30-year-old Javon Ward, who later died from his injuries at Albany Medical Center.
Joseph Ward, Javon's father, issued a statement at the sentencing, saying "I don’t come here with hatred for you guys, but you took a wrong turn in your life, and you took a great guy from me...and you’re going to meet him one day, maybe God needed him right now. You hurt a lot of families, not just ours, but your own, and you’re going to have a lot of time to think about this."
"The emotions that we saw in court today are exactly why we must recommit to ending the circle
of violence in Albany," Albany County District Attorney Lee Kindlon said. "I don’t want another family to hurt like the Ward family is hurting today."
"The court has heard four victims impact statements from the family, and the theme from all four
of those statements is forgiveness," Assistant District Attorney Ryan Carty stated. "And forgiveness is something that is earned and something that is warranted. And that’s not something that these two defendants have earned yet. They sit here in this courtroom without any remorse, as evidenced by their actions in the courtroom today."
Smith, who confessed to first-degree manslaughter in the case, will also serve five years of probation. Arrington, who was also slated to be sentenced on Monday, had his sentencing rescheduled for a later date after public defender Timothy Berry was held in contempt of court.
According to the ACDA, Berry failed to follow an order by Judge Marcelle to cease an outburst in which Berry allegedly drew parallels between violence in Albany and violence in the Middle East. During his speech, Berry reportedly stated "Violence abroad brings violence at home," before being forcibly removed from the courtroom.
"I think what he did was completely out of bounds," District Attorney Kindlon said of Berry's comments. "Today was about allowing the victims to be heard, and this was a disservice to them."