The capital murder trial of a man accused of killing an Alabama sheriff ended in a mistrial Tuesday after jurors told a judge that they were unable to reach a verdict.
Jurors, who previously indicated they were at an impasse, told the judge that they remained deadlocked Tuesday morning, WSFA-TV reported. Judge Bert Rice declared a mistrial. A new trial will be held at a later date.
William Chase Johnson is charged with capital murder for the Nov. 23, 2019, shooting death of Lowndes County Sheriff John Williams.
Williams had gone to a gas station in downtown Hayneville to disperse a crowd. It is not disputed that Johnson shot the sheriff. But defense lawyers maintain that Johnson acted in self-defense and did not know that Williams, who was not in uniform, was the sheriff.
Jurors had the option of returning a verdict on charges of murder or manslaughter.
Prosecutors and defense lawyers in closing arguments gave differing accounts of the moments before the fatal shooting, WSFA reported.
Prosecutors said Johnson was the aggressor and shot the sheriff out of anger. They said the evidence did not match his assertion that he was acting in self-defense.
“All he had to do was get back in his car and we would not be here,” Assistant Attorney General Kenny Gibbs told jurors in closing arguments.
Johnson took the stand during the trial. He testified that he did not know that Williams was a law enforcement officer. Johnson said he got out of his truck when he saw Williams yelling at his friend. He testified that Williams grabbed him by the throat and pointed a gun at him.
“If John Williams identified himself, Will would not have been afraid for his life,” defense attorney Terry Luck told jurors in closing arguments, according to the station.
Johnson, now 23, was 18 at the time of the shooting.
Sometimes known as “Big John” for his towering frame, the 62-year-old sheriff spent more than 40 years in law enforcement. He was elected sheriff in 2010. The Lowndes County Courthouse, which is across the street from the gas station where he was killed, was renamed in his honor.
Johnson’s trial was held in Macon County after a judge ruled that a fair trial could not be held in Lowndes County.
