Maryland murder case involving Pentagon police officer who claimed self-defense ends in mistrial

A mistrial was declared in Maryland on Friday in the murder case against a former Pentagon police officer who shot two suspected burglars dead in 2021 while he was off-duty.

A Montgomery County jury failed to reach a verdict in the trial against David Dixon, who is accused of killing Dominique Williams, 32, and 38-year-old James Johnson, after deliberating over two days. 

Dixon told authorities he believed both men were breaking into cars and that he was trying to stop them. 

A third man, Michael Thomas, 36, survived the shooting. Dixon’s lawyers claimed the April 7, 2021 shooting was in self-defense. Prosecutors said Dixon shot into the back of a car that was fleeing five times, striking two passengers. 

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During the trial, prosecutors released surveillance footage of Thomas bringing Williams and Johnston to a hospital. 

“There’s no question that David Dixon, nor any reasonable person, would think that they were in any physical harm or risk of bodily injury or death at all,” Attorney David Haynes, representing Johnson’s family, said of the video, according to WUSA-TV in Washington, D.C. “So to us, this was clearly an unjustified shooting. We look forward to a retrial, we look forward to justice, we look forward to David Dixon being taken off the streets so that he doesn’t harm anyone else again.”

Dixon said he was trying to make a citizens arrest. He was charged with second-degree murder and attempted murder. He faces up to 180 years in prison. 

He remains in jail without bond for the deadly shooting and an unrelated assault case. 

Prosecutors said they plan to retry the case.