Murder suspect acquitted after self-defense claim
He still faces 15 years in prison on felony weapon charge
ALBANY — A 49-year-old man charged in the deadly shooting last year of Shaun T. Koonce in Watervliet was acquitted of second-degree murder after arguing he shot the victim in self-defense.
An Albany County jury cleared Reginald P. Goodman of murdering Koonce, 41, after deliberating for about two hours on Feb. 9, according to Assistant Alternate Public Defender Timothy Berry, who represented Goodman.
Jurors convicted Goodman of second-degree weapon possession.
Berry said his client, formerly of Troy, was living in the first-floor apartment at 620 24th St. at the time of the Feb. 18, 2022, incident. He said Goodman was legally justified in using deadly physical force to end what he said was a burglary.
Berry told the Times Union that on the day of the shooting, Koonce drove to Watervliet from Poughkeepsie, approached the apartment, pushed his way past Goodman’s roommate and went into a room where Goodman was with a woman.
According to Berry, Koonce asked, “Where’s my money?”
Berry said Koonce punched the woman in the face and began punching Goodman, who was trapped in a corner.
The attorney said Goodman, who was much smaller than Koonce, slipped out of Koonce’s punches and grabbed a 9 mm handgun. After Koonce went into a hallway, Goodman fired eight shots, four of which struck Koonce, the lawyer said.
Berry said Koonce, whom he identified as a Bloods gang member, had been known to carry guns.
“We thank the jury for affirming the defense of a person in their own home to defend themselves from a burglary through the use of deadly force,” Berry told the Times Union.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Michael Wetmore. The sentencing for the gun charge is April 13.
Goodman, who has been in the Albany County jail since his arrest on the day of the incident, faces up to 15 years in prison on the gun charge because of his prior criminal record.
So far, prosecutors have said little about the case.