WEATHERFORD, Texas (WJHL) — A Texas grand jury returned a “no bill” in the case of a Greeneville truck driver who was accused of murder after a fatal shooting on an interstate, concluding the case against him.
Nicholas Kent was arrested and charged with murder on Jan. 8 after shooting a man during an altercation following a crash on Interstate 20, according to police.
District Attorney Jeff Swain confirmed that a grand jury deliberated and on Thursday returned a “no bill,” which means jurors did not believe there was enough evidence for an indictment.
When interrogated by Weatherford police, Kent said he fatally shot the other man in self-defense, according to the district attorney. Kent said he had stopped on the side of the interstate after the crash and checked the damage to his vehicle before returning to the cab.
Kent said a man then opened the door and started hitting him, according to Swain. Kent said he felt threatened and shot the man twice with a handgun before calling 911 and telling the operator what happened.
“Mr. Kent’s contention that the deceased was the aggressor was corroborated by video from a nearby auto dealership that showed him pulling up behind Mr. Kent’s 18-wheeler, getting out of his truck, and running up to the cab of the rig,” Swain said in a release. “It was definitely not typical behavior of someone who just wanted to get the driver’s license and insurance information of the other person in the accident. Unfortunately, that video was on the wrong side of the 18-wheeler to capture the events that took place at the cab.”
Swain said Kent’s descriptions were also corroborated by toxicology from the autopsy, which showed that the other man was under the influence of narcotics that can cause erratic and aggressive behavior.
“Under Texas law, a person is entitled to use force against another when and to the degree they reasonably believe that that is necessary to protect themselves against the other person’s use of force against them,” Swain said. “A person’s use of deadly force is presumed reasonable in Texas if they are defending themselves against another person’s unlawful entry into their vehicle.”
The district attorney said the grand jury’s decision marks the conclusion of the case.
“If we believe in the right to self-defense, we have to apply it not just when it is easy, but also when it is hard,” Swain said. “I have no doubt this was a difficult decision for the grand jurors.”
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