Defendant acquitted in deadly 2022 Autaugaville shootout

PRATTVILLE, Ala. (WSFA) - Gunfire rang out at a gathering in an Autaugaville in March 2022, leaving one person dead and three others injured. Now, the remaining defendant in that case has been cleared by a jury.

Following a three-day trial at the Autauga County Courthouse, the jury found Jermichael Nixon, 30, not guilty of all three counts of murder, second-degree assault and shooting into an occupied building.

Nixon’s attorney, Richard White, said the state did well in presenting the evidence they had, but did not prove to the jury that Nixon was there when the gunfire happened or, if he was, that he fired the shot that started it.

Court filings explained more of what happened the night of March 12, 2022, as was corroborated by White. Investigators said it started earlier in the day when Nixon confronted someone on North Pickett Street about property Nixon said was stolen from him. He left, saying he would return.

A car did come back to the neighborhood that night. Authorities say gunshots from the car were fired at a crowd outside, and multiple people in that crowd returned fire.

One of the people in the car, Cameron Motley, was fatally wounded. He died later at the hospital.

Three others were injured by the gunfire but survived.

White said his client admitted he was there earlier in the day but claimed he was not in the car when it returned. He said the prosecution did not prove he was or that he shot first.

“I asked the jury did they prove he was there and if not, then we’re done,” said White.

Nixon’s previous co-defendant, Cedric Long, was arrested on the same charges shortly after Nixon was in March 2022. However, Long’s charges were dismissed earlier this year.

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