On a February day in Watervliet, New York, a confrontation inside a 24th Street apartment turned deadly, leaving a 41-year-old man, Shaun T. Koonce, with fatal injuries. The incident, which occurred on February 18, 2022, led to a swift police response and a subsequent homicide investigation that would ultimately be decided by a jury.
Responding to reports of a shooting, officers arrived at the apartment to find a chaotic scene.
Inside, they discovered Koonce on the floor, suffering from four gunshot wounds. Despite immediate life-saving efforts by the first responding officer, who applied a tourniquet, Koonce's injuries were too severe. He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his wounds. Before he died, Koonce’s last words to the officer were a plea to tell his children that he loved them. Information from witnesses at the scene, who knew both the victim and the shooter, quickly led police to a suspect.
A short time after the shooting, police located and arrested Reginald P. Goodman, a 48-year-old man from the neighboring city of Troy. Investigators later found a 9mm handgun, believed to be the weapon used in the shooting, which was later determined to have been stolen from South Carolina. Goodman was subsequently charged with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was held in the Albany County Jail without bail while awaiting trial.
When the case went to court, Goodman's defense attorney argued that his client had acted in self-defense. The defense claimed that Koonce, who had traveled from Poughkeepsie, had forced his way into the apartment where Goodman was with his roommate and another woman. An altercation ensued, during which Koonce allegedly demanded money and physically assaulted both the woman and Goodman. The defense contended that Goodman, feeling trapped and in danger, retrieved a handgun and fired at Koonce to stop the attack.
After a trial, an Albany County jury deliberated for approximately two hours before reaching a verdict in February 2023. They acquitted Reginald P. Goodman of the second-degree murder charge, accepting the argument of self-defense. However, the jury found him guilty of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Due to a prior criminal record, Goodman faced a potential sentence of up to 15 years in prison for the weapons conviction.
