HUNTSVILLE — A jury on Friday found Dale Wayne Bryant not guilty in the shooting death of Samuel Scott Hicks.
Bryant, 56, of Combs, shot 30-year-old Hicks in the back with a 12-gauge shotgun after an argument Aug. 8, 2018, according to Madison County Circuit Court filings and testimony during the two-day trial.
Hicks died at the scene.
Bryant was charged with first-degree murder, but the jury also considered the lesser charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter and negligent homicide, finding Bryant not guilty of any of those charges. The jury of nine men and three women deliberated for about two hours.
Bryant told police that he had been having “neighbor troubles” for a few months prior to the shooting. He cited laser lights being pointed in his windows at night, loud music, loose dogs and possible drug use.
Prosecuting Attorney Matthew Durrett said the primary facts weren’t in dispute.
“Dale Bryant got a shotgun, pointed it at Scott Hicks and pulled the trigger — fired a load of buckshot into his back, causing his death,” said Durrett. “So this isn’t a who done it. This is a why. Why did he do it?”
Bryant’s attorney, Terry Harper, said the shooting was in self-defense.