Man found guilty on five charges after attempting to kill two Amherst County deputies

LYNCHBURG, Va. – The man accused of trying to kill two Amherst County deputies was found guilty by a jury on five charges.

The jury recommended a sentence of 103 years.

Trevor Ewers, of Amherst County, was accused of trying to kill Deputy Erin Karajankovich and Deputy Lt. Jason Meador.

Ewers testified and admitted he was drunk the night of the 2017 incident. He said he drank half a bottle of vodka, did cocaine, took pills and smoked marijuana.

Ewers was found guilty of the following five charges:

• Two counts of attempted murder of law enforcement officers
• Two counts of use of a firearm in attempting capital murder of a law enforcement officer
• One count of aggravated malicious wounding of a law enforcement officer

Investigators say Ewers was in the back seat of a car deputies pulled over on Sept. 22, 2017.

In court, the jury was shown dashcam and body camera video of the incident.  Ewers was asked to step out of the car. Deputies say he stumbled while keeping one hand in his pocket. Ewers pulled out a gun. Karajankovich screamed while running for cover. 

Meador testified he got into a struggle with Ewers, who fired three times.

Meador was shot in the head. He survived but now suffers from dizziness and has hearing problems.

During the altercation officers said they were trying to control the gun. Karajankovich said she saw blood then fired her weapon, striking Ewers in the shoulder.

Ewers attorney, Matthew Pack, argued his client was trying to hand the gun to the officer.

10 News spoke with the Amherst County commonwealth and the sheriff after the verdict and sentencing came down.

"We feel good about it. Happy for our victims we can put it past them now," Lyle Carver, commonwealth attorney, said.

"I'm ecstatic that the jury reached the verdict of guilty in everything. I'm not happy about none of this. Somebody's loved one is going to jail for a long time, Sheriff E.W. Viar said. "I'm thankful none of our deputies or police officers got killed that night. And I'm thankful Mr. Ewers didn't die that night. I'm very thankful."

Ewers attorney, Matthew Pack declined and interview but tells 10 News they will file an appeal after the sentencing.