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You can shoot a sheriff dead in a parking lot in Alabama and a jury isn’t sure that’s a crime.
That’s where we are with gun laws in this state. That’s where we are with the gun culture in America.
We’ve crafted laws in such a manner to encourage gun ownership, gun carrying and gun brandishing in the midst of otherwise minor disputes. We’ve told average folks that owning and carrying a firearm makes them safer. We’ve established legal precedent that simply being fearful of another person entitles a gun owner to fire away.
To the point that not even law enforcement is safe.
That was the message sent Tuesday by a Macon County jury, when it declared itself hopelessly deadlocked, forcing a mistrial in the trial of William Chase Johnson, who is facing capital murder charges for the shooting death of Lowndes County Sheriff Big John Williams (Prosecutors vowed to retry the case).
Johnson and a number of other young people were in the parking lot of a gas station, playing music loudly and generally causing a ruckus. Williams, who wasn’t in uniform, showed up to the station to help disperse the crowd.
Over the course of several days in court, numerous witnesses who were present that night took the stand. They all gave generally the same description of events, set the same scene and mostly relayed the same facts of the night. Both the defense and the prosecution agree that Johnson shot Williams.
Where they differ is this: Johnson claims it was self defense, because he didn’t know the sheriff was the sheriff.
Except numerous witnesses testified that Williams identified himself as the sheriff as he was instructing the young people in the parking lot to leave. In fact, one witness said he heard Williams identify himself numerous times as the sheriff, including specifically to Johnson.
Johnson’s story was that Williams was being aggressive towards his friend, demanding that he leave. Johnson exited his truck to confront Williams. That’s when, according to one witness, Williams said to Johnson: “Son, get back in your truck, I’m the sheriff.”
Another witness testified Johnson yelled, “I don’t give a (expletive) who you are!”
Williams and Johnson ended up at Johnson’s truck where some sort of exchange occurred. One witness said the two were “tussling.” Others said they saw a heated exchange but no physical contact. Johnson testified that Williams was choking him when he reached behind his seat, grabbed his gun and fired.
Other witnesses said they saw Williams standing outside of Johnson’s truck – not leaned into it, choking him – when they heard the gunshot and saw Williams drop to the ground.
Johnson then proceeded to run.
He jumped into a friend’s car and rode away, leaving Williams’ body on the ground. He turned himself in later, admitting to shooting Williams.
This is, of course, a synopsis of hours and hours of testimony. It condenses things, but it also is what I believe to be a very accurate recap of numerous media reports from several different sources covering the trial.
Yes, there were a couple of witness accounts that offered conflicting information, but the majority of those who were present at the gas station that night told the same story and mostly told it consistently.
So, here’s what some of the jury had to believe in order to get this mistrial:
- That Williams never identified himself as the sheriff, despite numerous witnesses hearing him do so, or that Johnson never heard Williams identify himself, despite a witness saying Williams said it directly to Johnson.
- That Williams, a decorated and respected law enforcement officer with more than 40 years of experience, was choking some bratty kid at a gas station over loud music and a bad attitude.
- That Johnson, who was listed at 5-foot-9, 137 pounds, was able to maneuver away from Williams, a trained officer who stood 6-foot-6, to retrieve a gun and kill the lawman.
Because to prove self defense, Johnson would have to convince the jury that he was rightfully afraid for his life or serious bodily harm and that he had no other options but to shoot his attacker. And presumably, a portion of that proof would have to be that he was unaware that Williams was the sheriff.
It’s absurd.
And yet, that’s apparently exactly what some jurors believed. (How many, we don’t know. The jury apparently wasn’t polled on what their votes would be).
Of course, there’s also the issue of race. It’s ever-present in Alabama, regardless of situations and circumstances. And more than a few people have suggested that if the races of the people involved had been reversed, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
That’s probably true.
But it’s also true that our gun laws gave those jurors an out.
We’ve slipped so far over the edge of reason and sanity by adopting gun laws that essentially encourage shootings. To the point that jurors can’t decide if shooting the sheriff in a parking lot is a crime.
The jury had several options on charges, including manslaughter. Do you understand what that means? They couldn’t even say that Johnson wrongly killed Williams while caught up in a fight.
Because our gun laws have told people that it’s right to pull a gun during a fight. That it’s right to fire away whenever you feel unsafe.
Even if the only thing that made you feel unsafe was a man trying to get you to turn down the music and leave the parking lot.
Even if the man told you he was the sheriff and you shot him anyway.
