DAYTON, Ohio -- A man convicted of fatally shooting another man was sentenced on Tuesday.

Authorities said while Jamal Houston was sentenced, people were protesting outside the Montgomery County Courthouse in Dayton.

Houston is headed to prison for 18 years for a murder that he said he did not commit. He was convicted of shooting and killing Joshua Bland, 19, last year on Prescott Avenue.

Houston has maintained his innocence throughout the entire trial. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference even spoke out on Houston’s behalf last week.

The protesters were rallying against Houston’s conviction with homemade signs.

Prosecutors said the evidence against Houston was overwhelming.