Jury can't reach verdict for man accused of killing Sheriff “Big John” Williams

TUSKEGEE, Ala. (AP) — The capital murder trial of a man accused of killing an Alabama sheriff ended in a mistrial Tuesday after jurors told a judge they were unable to reach a verdict.

Jurors who had previously suggested they were at an impasse told the judge Tuesday morning that they remained deadlocked, WSFA-TV reported. Judge Bert Rice declared the proceedings invalid. A new trial will take place at a later date.

William Chase Johnson is charged with murder in the Nov. 23, 2019, shooting death of Lowndes County Sheriff John “Big John” Williams.

Williams had gone to a gas station in downtown Hayneville to disperse a crowd. There is no dispute that Johnson shot the sheriff. But defense attorneys contend that Johnson acted in self-defense and did not know that Williams, who was not in uniform, was the sheriff.

The jury had the option of returning a verdict of murder or manslaughter.

In their closing arguments, prosecutors and defense attorneys gave different accounts of the moments before the fatal shooting.

Prosecutors said Johnson was the attacker and that he shot the sheriff in anger. They said the evidence was inconsistent with his claim that he acted in self-defense.

“All he had to do was get back in his car and we wouldn't be here,” Assistant Attorney General Kenny Gibbs told jurors in his closing argument.

Johnson took the stand during the trial. He testified that he did not know Williams was a police 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 had identified himself, Will would not have been in fear 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.

The 62-year-old sheriff, sometimes called “Big John” because of his towering stature, served in law enforcement for more than 40 years. He was elected sheriff in 2010. The Lowndes County Courthouse, located across the street from the gas station where he was killed, was renamed in his honor.

Johnson's trial took place in Macon County after a judge ruled that a fair trial could not take place in Lowndes County.