Man sentenced for threatening family, throwing hammer at cop

A man was sentenced to 30 years in prison Friday for threatening a Centerville family during a burglary and throwing a hammer at a police officer.

William David Ellerbee, 62, of Byron, also was sentenced to 10 years probation by Superior Court Judge Katherine K. Lumsden.

The sentencing followed a two-day trial in Houston County. A jury found Ellerbee guilty of burglary, terroristic threats and acts, criminal trespass, aggravated assault and felony obstruction of a police officer, according a Houston County District Attorney’s Office news release.

Ellerbee represented himself at his trial.

He was sentenced as a recidivist based on prior felony convictions, which means he must serve all 30 years in prison, Chief Assistant District Attorney Erikka Williams said in the release.

“This was truly a scary situation for the homeowners. ... Ellerbee was bent on terrorizing these homeowners and trying to die by the hands of law enforcement,” Williams said in the release. “Centerville police officers responded and arrested him without having to take his life.”

On February 8, 2015, a family was pulling into the garage of their Arbor Creek home about 10:30 p.m. when they heard glass breaking. When the father opened the door from the garage into the home, he heard a man, later identified as Ellerbee, say he had a weapon and would hurt them, police said.

The father hit an alarm, closed the door, and the family hid in the garage as police arrived and surrounded the home. An officer was able to get the family out of the garage through a side door and to safety at a neighbor’s home.

Meanwhile, armed with a hammer and golf club, Ellerbee ran out the back door - throwing the hammer at a police officer waiting outside, police said. He ran back inside and out the front door where he ran into more officers. He raised the golf club as an officer tackled him from behind.

Continuing to struggle with police, Ellerbee was subdued with a stun gun and taken first to Houston Medical Center for an evaluation and later to jail.

He told officers he didn’t want to go back to prison and had wanted them to shoot and kill him, police said.

According to online state prison records, Ellerbee has been in and out of prison from 1973 to 2002 on multiple burglary and assault convictions in several counties.

This story was originally published April 22, 2016 at 6:03 PM with the headline "Man sentenced for threatening family, throwing hammer at cop."