A state corrections officer charged with attempted murder as a hate crime was found not guilty Thursday.

Wayne Spratley was accused of shooting Jack Alexander in the parking lot of a Norwich bar in July 2015, and the former corrections officer allegedly "hurled numerous racial slurs" at Alexander.

Chenango County judge Frank Revoir called Spratley's behavior "disgusting, reprehensible and certainly dangerous," but decided that the prosecutors' evidence did not meet the burden of proof. 

District Attorney Joseph McBride called it a sad day for Chenango County.

"I am at a loss for words to describe how we're here today," he said. "The judge said on the record that justification did not apply. So my condolences to the victim in this matter."