A Dixon County jury on Tuesday found Sharique Marquis Vaughn not guilty on four charges arising from an Aug. 30, 2022, incident at a convenience store in Charlotte.

The indictment charged Vaughn with simple assault, false imprisonment, disorderly conduct and public intoxication after a clerk at the Exxon (now Shell) on Malfunction Junction reported that a customer threatened her, prevented her from leaving, and smelled of alcohol. The jury returned not guilty verdicts on all counts after a day of testimony and deliberation.

The case centered on testimony from the store clerk, Bethany Page, who told jurors she was working behind the counter when Vaughn entered the store, began swearing and accusing her of being an informant, and “said, ‘I’m gonna beat your —’ ” Page testified. She said Vaughn stood in front of the door at times and that she called 911 because she felt “a little bit angry and scared.”

Corporal Jeffrey Clark of the City of Dixon Police Department, who responded to the scene, testified that he smelled alcohol on Vaughn and that his report reflected Page’s account and a still image from the store’s surveillance that showed Vaughn with his hands raised. Clark said Drug Task Force agents were on scene before he arrived and that the defendant acknowledged holding the door when questioned.

Vaughn, who at points represented himself in court, disputed the account and told jurors there were no independent witnesses to corroborate Page’s version. In his closing, he told jurors the accounts “sound like two different stories” and argued the available evidence — including the passage of three years since the incident — left reasonable doubt. He also pointed to the absence of breath or blood tests and field-sobriety testing as reasons the state had not proven intoxication.

The defense called Jennifer Dozer, who testified she was Vaughn’s long‑time partner and said she was in the car while the events at the store occurred; she said she did not witness threats or violence and that Vaughn appeared calm when they left the Exxon and later went to an Advance Auto Parts nearby.

Prosecutors acknowledged gaps in the state’s proof during testimony: Corporal Clark said department body‑camera and in‑car footage for the incident were not available in current form because the department changed digital systems in 2023 and older files were subject to corruption; he testified he believed the footage had been downloaded and included in the grand‑jury packet, but the recording is not available in court today.

The presiding judge instructed jurors on the elements the state must prove for each offense and reminded them of the presumption of innocence and the requirement of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. After retiring, the jury returned unanimous not guilty verdicts on all four counts.

After the verdict the court noted there remain unrelated pending matters against Vaughn, including a separate driving-on-revoked-license case; the court scheduled a status hearing for Nov. 6 to address that charge.

The docketed indictment and jury instructions in the record referenced Tennessee statutes cited at trial for assault, false imprisonment, disorderly conduct and public intoxication; the indictment itself was signed by W. Ray Crouch Jr., district attorney general.