ALBANY, NEW YORK — Reginald P. Goodman, a 49-year-old man charged with the murder of Shaun T. Koonce in Watervliet last year, has been acquitted of second-degree murder.
Assistant Alternate Public Defender Timothy Berry, who represented Goodman, argued that his client shot Koonce in self-defense, according to the Times Union.
The jury took only two hours to clear Goodman of the murder charge but convicted him of second-degree weapon possession.
Berry argued that Goodman was legally justified in using deadly force to end what he believed was a burglary.
Koonce had driven to Watervliet from Poughkeepsie and entered the apartment by pushing his way past Goodman’s roommate.
He then went into a room where Goodman was with a woman and punched her in the face. Berry claimed that Koonce then started punching Goodman, who was much smaller than him and trapped in a corner.
Goodman grabbed a 9mm handgun and fired eight shots at Koonce, four of which struck him. Berry identified Koonce as a Bloods gang member known to carry guns.
Goodman, who has been in the Albany County jail since his arrest on the day of the incident, faces up to 15 years in prison on the gun charge because of his prior criminal record. The sentencing for the gun charge is scheduled for April 13.