A man who shot and killed an off-duty Fulton County deputy was acquitted of murder and aggravated assault charges on Friday afternoon after telling a jury he only fired the gun in self-defense.

Alton Deshawn Oliver was acquitted on charges in the December fatal 2022 shooting of Deputy James Thomas, 24 .

“Mr. Oliver, good luck to you,” Fulton County Senior Judge Henry M. Newkirk told Oliver after dismissing the jury.

Newkirk initially misspoke and said Oliver had been found guilty on all counts but jurors quickly corrected him and he realized that the verdict was not guilty.

“We always respect the jury’s verdict,” a Fulton County District Attorney’s spokesperson said in a statement.

Oliver was walking home on Bolton Road when Thomas approached him three times, according to case evide

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