DETROIT – A woman who was recorded on cellphone video stabbing another woman on a Detroit city bus is scheduled to be sentenced after a jury found her guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
Tiffanie Edwards, 29, was originally charged with first-degree murder when Charla Williams, 50, died after the stabbing. But the jury convicted her of the lesser charge.
"I apologize to everyone who was affected by the tragic event that occurred," Edwards said. "I am very remorseful."
Edwards was sentenced to 12 to 30 years in prison by Judge Cynthia Gray Hathaway.
"Everywhere you go, you should have the attitude, 'I am going to do what is right and now what's wrong,' especially when it comes to hurting other people," Hathaway said.
Video: Tiffanie Edwards statement to the judge
Video: Statements from victim's family
What happened:
Williams was stabbed in the face and body with a knife on Aug. 26, 2015, at a bus stop on the city's west side. Her attacker ran off after the stabbing, but Edwards was arrested after a bus passenger's cellphone video of the attack was aired by news outlets. It led to a tip for police.
More: Video shows deadly stabbing on Detroit bus
Witness accounts say it was an argument between three women which lasted about 20 minutes before the victim started to leave the bus at Rosa Parks and the Boulevard. One witness said it didn't get physical until an older woman got up and shoved her walker at the defendant, telling her to move.
That's when a man on the bus started recording it on his phone. Edwards is shown in the video wearing black. Williams is shown in white.
"I think clearly we see that Ms. Edwards was defending herself," said defense attorney Kareem Johnson. "She was on the bus. She was attacked by an object that was being used as a weapon and she did what she thought was necessary to defend herself at that time."
Witnesses say it started when a mother took exception with the victim's foul language around children and that it escalated when she bumped the defendant with her walker as she tried to get off the bus.
At that point, witnesses say, Williams was bleeding badly. The video shows her hand appear with blood on it. Edwards it shown charging at Williams once more as the video ends.