MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) — A judge declared a mistrial Friday in the case of a former Pentagon police officer charged with murdering two people in April 2021.

David Hall Dixon was off duty when he said he saw people breaking into a car in Takoma Park. Police sad Dixon confronted the people and fired several shots into the car as they drove off. Two of the people who were there, Dominique Williams and James Lionel Johnson, died as a result of their injuries. The driver of the car, Michael Thomas, survived the shooting.

“The family was hoping to get some closure in the criminal matter today. We were hoping for a conviction of first-degree or second-degree murder at least,” said David Haynes, attorney for the Thomas family.

The murder trial reached the jury for deliberation, but jurors said they were deadlocked, which led to the judge declaring the mistrial.

“It’s not entirely unsurprising they were not able to reach an agreement. We hope that the disagreement was over not whether it was certainly guilty or not guilty but what the level of offense was,” Haynes said.

That’s because Montgomery County State’s Attorney Spokesperson Lauren DeMarco said it’s a very complicated case.

“The legal instructions were among the most complicated that this courthouse has ever seen, DeMarco said. “The jury had 12 options alone among the first three counts.”

Haynes said the Thomas family won’t give up on justice.

“While the family is disappointed that we’re going to have to go through another trial, the family continues to hold the memory of James Johnson very close to their heart and they are not going to give up,” Haynes said. “They are going to continue to see this process through whatever it takes.”

DeMarco said the State’s Attorney’s Office will meet with the administrative judge next week to select new trial dates.

Dixon will remain behind bars, held without bond in both this case and an unrelated assault case in which he is awaiting trial.