NATCHEZ — A hung jury forced Judge Forest “Al” Johnson to declare a mistrial at an aggravated assault trial Thursday evening.

The case was against Trenton Earl, 26, who was indicted for shooting a Natchez man at the victim’s home June 10, 2008.

The victim, Reginald Givens, 29, testified at the trial. The July 2008 incident put him in a coma for a month and has prevented him from walking.

Givens identified the suspect, Earl, of 2A Lincoln St., immediately after Givens was shot and again when he woke from his coma, Adams County Investigator Gerald Mooney said on the stand.

The investigation indicated though Givens was shot three times, only two bullets struck him, one of which passed through his arm before lodging in his body.

After authorities located Earl at his mother’s house a few hours after the incident, she transported him to the sheriff’s office, where he was booked on charges of aggravated assault.

Defense attorney Anthony Heidelberg asked Mooney if there was any physical evidence existed to link Earl to the assault, the assault weapon or the crime scene, to which Mooney replied there was none.

Assistant District Attorney Walt Brown said the incident was a dispute over drugs, with which the victim and defendant have a history of problems. The two men were allegedly friends before the incident, however, with one witness calling them “homeboys.”

Givens let Earl into his house that night willingly, the investigation indicated.

The defense’s last witness, Lawrence Warner, who is the half brother of the defendant, testified Earl was with him and other family members during the time of the incident two years and four months ago.

Brown questioned Warner about the extent of what he would do to protect his older brother after Warner provided Earl’s verbal alibi.

Warner said he would do anything for his brother, but he would not lie.

Brown questioned Warner why he never approached law enforcement with the information that his brother was with him during the time the incident occurred, to which Warner said it would not have made a difference.

District Attorney Ronnie Harper said the jury deliberated for just over an hour when a jury member sent a note to the judge stating it could not reach a unanimous decision.

Johnson brought the jury to the courtroom and asked them several questions, including whether they believed more time to deliberate would help them arrive at a unanimous verdict.

Harper said the jury indicated it did not think its members could ever arrive at a unanimous verdict, at which point Johnson declared a mistrial.

The aggravated assault trial for Earl will be reset. No date has yet been scheduled.

“We’re back to square one,” Harper said.