- March 6, 2025
Sahmi Green pled no contest Wednesday to a stack of charges against him that stemmed from what prosecutors called “quite a crime spree,” including aggravated battery of a police officer and felony cruelty to animals.
“I’m sorry about how things played out,” Green said before he was sentenced to, in total, two years in prison and 13 years of probation. “I wish I could have done things differently, but I was off my medicine. Since I’ve been locked up, I’ve been on my medicine and haven’t had problems.”
Green suffers from a handful of mental health disorders, chief among them paranoid schizophrenia post-traumatic stress disorder, according to an analysis by licensed psychologist Todd Broder. As a child, Green was placed in foster care as a child because of physically and sexually abusive home life.
Green was charged with animal cruelty after stabbing a pit bull to death in early 2012. The dog belonged to his roommate, and Green had borrowed the dog to walk it before killing it. He was also charged with grand theft after stealing a television from Walmart and criminal mischief and battery of a police officer after damaging a vending machine and spitting on a law enforcement officer at a bowling alley. All of the offenses happened in early 2012.
The case was reminiscent of that of Angel Roman, who was sentenced in February to mental health treatment instead of prison time after he bit the lips off a kitten and killed at least one other. Circuit Judge J. David Walsh referenced Roman’s case as he addressed Green’s.
“This case is a troubling case,” Walsh said, adding that the prison system is meant to punish those who deserve it. “Our society has not made provisions for the care of people with mental health problems … It’s almost as if we’ve regressed, because at a time, there were programs to help these people.”
Green said he was not taking his medications when he killed the pit bull or at the time of his arrest. After he was arrested, he was put on medication for schizophrenia.
Green’s former foster mother said at his hearing that Green is a caring man when on his medication, but that he becomes a different person when he is not.
Green’s defense asked that he be sentenced to mental health treatment, but prosecutors said he continues to be a danger to himself and to others. Walsh sentenced Green to prison time only for the battery and crinimal mischief charges. He will serve 60 days for damaging the vending machine and two years for spitting on the law enforcement officer, with credit for the 419 days Green has already served.
Walsh also sentenced Green to a total of 13 years of concurrent probation sentences, during which he must undergo mental health and substance abuse evaluations and treatments. During the first year of his probation, Green will be monitored electronically.
Walsh said the lengthy probation is an effort to ensure that Green stays on his medication.
“You’re going to have somebody to make sure that you’re taking your medications, that you’re not violating the law and that you’re staying out of trouble,” Walsh said. “If you do these things, you’ll be fine.”
