Gotcha, thought I saw someone above say retired must've misread. Still should have called in a patrol car with a uniformed officer, especially since it was just for them playing loud music. Chances are good he would still be alive and nobody would be dead.

The incident where it occurred is right next to the courthouse and police station. In fact, one time I one of my students threw me a box of chicken wings across the road from the gas station to the courthouse where I was standing. Its that close.
Google up Hayneville, Lowndes County Courthouse and you will see how close it is.

That just proves the killer and thugs don’t give a damn, actually like to be more in your face would be my guess

That wasn't John's style. He was close by so instead of pulling a deputy off of patrol, he said, I'll handle it. That was his style and why everybody liked and respected him. I'm not so sure it would've prevented a tragic outcome anyways since he IDed himself and the fool didn't care.

Seems to me that the state went to trial thinking that they had a slam dunk, didn’t present a compelling argument and left the door wide open for reasonable doubt amongst the jury

What's the race of sheriff and the killer?

Older black and young white.

Let me ask this because I felt it happened under Obama to question authority. Obama came at it to build up his cred.

The media jumped in the bandwagon and treated Leo’s horrible and guilty without cause. The thugs all released the police were handcuffed and took full advantage of the situation. As each situation was worsened by media and then the George Floyd incident. The respect for police is all but gone now.

It’s an impossible job for the most part since the thugs have little to fear and law enforcement is no longer in control

From the article it said big johns son was with him. Fired at the guy that shot his dad and hit someone in another vehicle, non life threatening wound. Later big johns son died in a car wreck.

What a mess

Jawbone that is of the story I was told. I dont know you except from a decade of your post or so. I just know from everyone I have met in the area. The story is very much spoken more as fact as you described.

Someday I hope to hang with Sandy and talk about past bird hunts. I am sure he remains sick to this day that the tragedy occurred at his store.

I do believe the change of venue even though there was a mistrial was warranted. Just wish it was over by now.

Interesting that the trial was moved to Macon County

In all fairness to the shooter the county is majority black, the courthouse is named after the Sheriff, who is black. It would be as fair as Trump’s trial in NYC, and try to get a jury of unbiased jurors

The community there is small. Everybody knows and hates and loves each other too much. It would be the trial of Otis for shooting Andy in Mayberry.

The night it happened was opening day. Wife and I were at our Lowndes county club sitting around a fire with some other club members when another member walked up with tears in his eyes and said that his best friend, the lowndes count sheriff was just shot and killed at the Hayneville store. We had driven by there just a few hours prior. We all just felt gutted.

Now that it’s public record I guess I can say this. A son of one of my former employees was there when this horrific tragedy occurred. He was called as a witness and testified at the trial. His girlfriend at the time was in his truck and was shot by the sheriff’s son (who later died in a car accident) as they were trying to leave the chaotic scene. His testimony is public record.

I thought this case was going to be over pretty quickly with a conviction. Especially since it was being tried in Macon county. I began to be concerned as the deliberations drug on. Evidently there was not enough evidence for a conviction on the charges they were seeking. There has to be a whole lot of evidence that the public did not know about that caused doubt in the minds of some jurors regarding intent.

Either way, the guy needs to be held accountable for killing that man.

My opinion of Big John differs from most!

Mine too

No way the punk would get a fair trial in Lowndes County. Heck, they even have to house him in another County jail for his own protection.

I can see a hung jury. Picture the scene if you will. Two black men show up in civilian clothes in a Ford Ranger. One tall dude with a pistol gets out and approaches your friend. You get out of your truck and that armed man comes to you and throws you in your truck and is on top of you. What would you do? I may have missed some pieces of the story but that’s what I gathered from sworn testimony from witnesses.

I’ve hunted in Lowndes County for 30 years and drive right by that store to get to my camp. Believe me when I say that the only white people I’ve seen consistently in that store are hunters. My buddy had a weed whacker stolen out of his truck in broad daylight at that store just in the time it took him to go in and use the bathroom. I can see where the kids in those trucks felt like they were in the Alamo.

So Big John's son fired first? WTH was he shootng at and why? I know he's dead now, but were charges ever brought against him?

If you were around lowndes county when Willie Vaugner died in 2007 and the governor appointed Chip as sheriff you'd probably have a different opinion. No doubt the kid that shot him is probably a punk but there's obviously more that went on than what the media told.