Former Bexar deputy not guilty of murder

Mathew Jackson's mother, facing away from camera, is hugged Tuesday, May 24, 2016, by Jackson's aunt before a jury found former Bexar County Sheriff Deputy Anthony Lamont Thomas innocent of murder in the shooting death of Jackson. Thomas admitted to shooting Jackson in August 2013 after the two men had a minor car crash but his lawyers successfully argued Thomas shot in self defense. less Mathew Jackson's mother, facing away from camera, is hugged Tuesday, May 24, 2016, by Jackson's aunt before a jury found former Bexar County Sheriff Deputy Anthony Lamont Thomas innocent of murder in the ... more Photo: William Luther, San Antonio Express-News Photo: William Luther, San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 32 Caption Close Former Bexar deputy not guilty of murder 1 / 32 Back to Gallery

The jury in the murder trial of a former Bexar County sheriff's deputy took less than two hours to find him not guilty in the killing of an unarmed man in 2013 after a minor traffic crash.

Anthony Lamont Thomas, now 41, was off duty when he and Mathew Jackson, 29, had a roadside confrontation after the side mirrors on their vehicles bumped while they drove on Loop 1604 near Lookout Road on the Northeast Side before dawn on Aug. 31, 2013.

Thomas is not a cold-blooded killer and “did what every other ordinary, prudent person would have done because they would have reasonably believed their life was in danger,” his attorney, Cleophus Marshall, told the jury in closing arguments.

When the verdict was announced, deputies immediately escorted Thomas and his family from the courtroom, and Jackson's wife also left, crying.

Thomas fired at Jackson eight times with his Glock semi-automatic pistol and hit him once in the heart, according to testimony. He died at the scene. Thomas has said he heard a gunshot and feared for his life when Jackson ran toward his car with something shiny in his hand.

No other weapon besides Thomas’ was found but a chrome cigarette lighter was found with Jackson’s body, back in Jackson’s car.

“Mathew Jackson is dead because a trained officer believed a lighter was a gun,” special prosecutor Miguel Najera said in his closing statement, accusing Thomas of “concocting a story to cover up his actions,” a story that did not match the evidence.

Najera used an overhead projector to display a list of what he said were discrepancies in Thomas' statements since the night of the shooting. The 911 tapes show Thomas initially reported that Jackson had a gun, that “he saw a gun through his window,” Najera said, “‘He (Jackson) fired off a shot and I returned fire.’ There's no mention of a shiny object.”

“Then the story changed to, he sees the victim ‘running up to my car,’ then this is the first time the gun becomes a shiny object,” Najera said, pointing out that Thomas said he stayed in his car, but a witness testified he drove by and saw Jackson in his car and another person at the scene.

But Marshall said Thomas’ self-defense story made sense.

“If you believe your brother is an ordinary and prudent person, and believed his life was in danger, ... your grandmother, friend ... preacher would have acted the same way, then you must find him not guilty,” Marshall said. “If there are any of you who are ordinary and prudent people who would say, 'I would have done the same thing,' you must find him not guilty.”

Earlier Tuesday, Najera had asked for a lesser charge of manslaughter to be added as an option for the jury to consider. Defense lawyers objected, saying there was no evidence Thomas was guilty of that.

“The state chose not to include that in the indictment,” defense attorney Ed Shaughnessy told state District Judge Ron Rangel.

“The indictment is what it is,” Rangel told Najera. “I know you had nothing to do with the indictment.”

A grand jury indicted Thomas on the murder charge in 2014 on evidence presented under former Bexar County District Attorney Susan Reed’s administration.