The jury in the Cactus Club manslaughter trial came back with a verdict of not guilty Tuesday afternoon.
26-year-old Cory Van Gilder broke down in tears, slumping over, after the verdict was read out.
He was on trial for the fatal punch he threw against 30-year-old Zachary Gaudette on the night of February 17, 2016, outside the Cactus Club restaurant on Banks Road.
An intoxicated Gaudette had approached the people outside the restaurant, saying he would fight anyone. Van Gilder testified he went up to Gaudette and punched him once, to defend himself and the people around.
The punch ruptured a blood vessel in Gaudette's neck, and he died a few days after the incident.
The crown had argued that Gaudette did not make any threatening gestures and that Van Gilder could have walked away or used other means to diffuse the situation.
The unanimous decision by the jury was reached after more than a full day of deliberations.