A jury found former Lonoke County Sgt. Another witness who was nearby during the shooting said he was at the shop waiting on Brittain and a friend when he heard the gunshots. Hunter Brittain, the 17-year-old killed by a Lonoke County sheriff's deputy in June, died of gunshot wounds in his neck and arm, according to a coroner's report released Wednesday. But the passenger in the truck heard no verbal communication, only 1 shot. The law states that records, files and information kept, obtained or retained by the lab are privileged and confidential and that only a defendant, attorney of defendant or prosecuting attorney can be granted access to records pertaining to a defendants criminal case.. A former Arkansas deputy was convicted on Friday of negligent homicide and sentenced to a year in jail for shooting an unarmed teenager whose death last year drew the attention of national. The video starts with Davis saying, "Shots fired, shots fired," across his radio. They didnt say one word that I know of, he told KATV. The file includes hundreds of documents, including Davis' employment record, body camera footage from deputies and Cabot police officers who responded, crime scene photos and interviews with witnesses. Pierson pled guilty to one count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. It was unclear what impact Sharptons and the attorneys calls for action would have in Lonoke County, a rural county of 73,000 people that is 90% white. "We're glad that we're finally at this point. Call if you have any questions. Graham sent a text the next day to an unknown person in the police agency saying, Ive got you in my phone, call me anytime. They always seem to have their body cameras off. A special prosecutor announced the felony charge against Michael Davis, a former sergeant with the Lonoke County Sheriff's Office, in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain. Hunter Brittain (left) and then-Sgt. The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. The trial is taking place at the Cabot Readiness Center, where it was moved from the Lonoke County courthouse, mainly due to the fact that there are not a lot of windows inside the courtroom. Phillips was passed the investigative file by the coordinating office July 15, according to an email from McMahan. It's a case that's gained national attention and one that has greatly impacted the community of Lonoke and across Arkansas. How much help are American volunteers in Ukraine? Michael Davis to spend a year in jail but acquitted of manslaughter over death of Hunter Brittain, 17, during June traffic stop. 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The family of Brittain has hired Devon Jacob and Benjamin Crump to represent them in the case. "Now, what's gonna happen? Michael Davis took the stand as the defense's last witness. All rights reserved. What happened the night Hunter Brittain died? A jury found former Lonoke County Sgt. Early in the morning of 23 June, Hunter Brittain was hard at work fixing his truck so it would be ready in time to make his construction job at 6am. Shortly after the shooting, Davis was fired by the Lonoke County Sheriffs Office for breaking their body-camera policy. The report was first requested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on July 8. Chances are you haven't yet heard about 17-year-old Hunter Brittain who, despite being unarmed, was shot dead by police during a traffic stop. I dont want to jeopardize this case, its too important, he said. He was my grandson. Brittain was test-driving a pickup truck with his cousin that the two spent the night tinkering on at a local repair shop. Rev. Devon Jacob, Brittains familys attorney, described the report as unclear. Phillips received the investigative file on July 15, according to an email from the prosecutor coordinating office. Video at arkansasonline.com/mdavis/. Print Headline: Lonoke deputy fatally shot teen Hunter Brittain in neck, arm, coroner says, Copyright 2023, Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC. Once we have the autopsy report, we will know more.. He took the vehicle for a test drive down Highway 89, outside of the city of Cabot, Arkansas, and was pulled over as the car began to smoke and cause a racket. Davis, an eight-year veteran with the Lonoke County Sheriffs office, gave the boy commands to stop and shot him before he could see what he was retrieving, which turned out to be a jug of antifreeze. Many attending the memorial wore jeans and shirts that read Justice for Hunter, in a ceremony that included Floyd family attorneys Ben Crump and Devon Jacob. The teen didnt respond to verbal commands given by the deputy, Necomb said. Arkansas State Police investigated Davis use of deadly force and turned over its findings to Fifth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Phillips, who was named special prosecutor for the case July 12. According to a statement previously released by the Brittain familys attorney, the teen exited his truck to place a blue plastic bottle of antifreeze behind a wheel because the vehicle wouldnt shift into park. The investigation of the shooting was quickly turned over to the Arkansas State Police. Special prosecutors, who dont have connections to the police agency, are then appointed by the Arkansas prosecutor coordinator, Bob McMahan. TIL Sam Kinison was killed by a drunk driving 17 year old, Troy Pierson. attracted the attention of Black civil rights leaders. The car, which had transmission issues, began smoking and was pulled over by Davis as it neared the repair shop. An Arkansas sheriff's deputy shot and killed a teenager after a traffic stop early Wednesday, officials said. In June, at 3 a.m. on a dark stretch of a highway in rural Arkansas, 17-year-old Hunter Brittain was shot and killed by a sergeant from the Lonoke County Sheriff's Office. You know, he'll go back to force," she said. We acknowledge that is going to be much harder in a smaller office. The institute released a tool kit in 2019 to help prosecutors when addressing officer-involved fatalities. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Hunter Brittains family has called for police reform, including an end to qualified immunity, the legal doctrine that shields many police officers from legal action when accused of committing crimes in the court of their duty. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. He said Davis missed one of the three steps needed to activate the camera. He said each prosecutors office has to make its own determination on how to handle police shootings. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. There were no indications of drug and alcohol use listed on the coroners report. According to an affidavit read by Phillips at a press conference, Brittain was test-driving a pickup truck with his cousin that the two spent the night tinkering on at a local repair shop. (Tommy Metthe/The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Sadly there is not really anyone who we can point to here in Arkansas who is a quote and quote expert who can talk on this because it is untreaded territory right now. Crump, in a statement, said the charges were the first step in the pursuit of justice for Brittain, adding that his shooting was the latest example of law enforcement shooting first and asking questions later.. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. Brittains family claim the teen had been working on his pickup, and that at the time of the shooting he was unarmed, with only a bottle of antifreeze in his hands. According to his family members, he went to place a large blue plastic bottle. I do all the on-call stuff, Graham said in a phone conversation last week. Davis was fired by Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley a week after the shooting for breaking a department policy that requires deputies body cameras to be turned on before interactions with the public. It wont require a recusal, Abdul-Bey said. A cop shot and killed Hunter Brittain as the 17-year-old was trying to grab an antifreeze jug from his car. An ambulance arrives on the scene at 14 minutes after "shots fired" went across the radio. He also shared what made him fear for his life, which consequently made him fire his gun. He said he should refrain from talking about the case because special prosecutor Jeff Phillips, prosecuting attorney for the 5th Judicial District, was named July 12. Copyright 2023, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. A video from Rice, who arrived within minutes of the shooting, shows King on the ground in cuffs as Davis yells. Hunter Brittain, the 17-year-old killed by a Lonoke County sheriff's deputy in June, died of gunshot wounds in his neck and arm, according to a coroner's report released Wednesday. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. Ben Crump, who represented Brittains family said: Hunter deserved better.. Jordan King, Brittains cousin who was in the car with him at the time, said Brittain hopped out with the jug to place it behind the trucks tireswhich is something the teen always did to help stop the old truck. They think that it is not appropriate for anybody who has a conflict of interest to weigh in and deny them due process of a fair and impartial and completely independent investigation as to what happened to their child. Newcomb said he wasnt concerned with the file being passed to Graham. Mike Davis plead not guilty to felony manslaughter in the death of Hunter Brittain. Rebecca Payne, Brittains grandmother, said family members wanted the deputy convicted of the felony to ensure he could not serve as an officer again. He took a life.. The civil-rights attorneys also represented the family of George Floyd, who died in 2020 while in police custody in Minneapolis. Newcomb has said Brittain was pulled over by Davis because his vehicle was smoking heavily and an engine was knocking. It also attracted the attention of Black civil rights leaders like attorney Benjamin Crump, who is representing Brittains family, and has stood alongside them as theyve called for justice. The jury finding Davis guilty of negligent homicide instead of manslaughter, is something that worried Payne, as it means Davis could go back to wearing a badge in the future. About 9:45 into the video, another officer comes up to Davis and says, "Buddy, I'm going to put my gun in your holster.". Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. One bullet can go through and cause injury in more than one location, Newcomb said. On 1 July, the the sheriffs office announced it had fired sergeant Davis for failing to comply with the agencys body camera policy. I didn't say he was a mean guy. Few details about the shooting have been officially released over the past two months. More than a month after a Lonoke County deputy shot and killed 17-year-old Hunter Brittain, officials have yet to release body camera footage amid a national conversation about police. On Sept. 20, Davis was released on a $15,000 bond. Brittain was up late working on the vehicles transmission before taking the test drive, family members have said. King was in the car with Brittain in the early morning hours of June 23, 2021. The jury was asked a series of questions related to law enforcement and their opinions. The trial for a former Lonoke County Sheriff's Deputy accused of killing an unarmed teenager during a traffic stop happened this week. Davis said he shot Brittain once, after the teen exited his truck and. The next day, the Arkansas State Police passed the investigation file to Grahams office. Both are representing Brittains family. It makes you concerned that they are looking for a weapon. Newcomb said he isnt concerned by Grahams involvement with investigators. Hunter's Uncle, Jesse Brittain, said all they wanted was acknowledgment and an apology. He also got emotional multiple times during his testimony. A family photo of Hunter Brittain, a 17-year-old boy from Arkansas who was shot during a traffic stop, when an officer saw him reaching for a jug in the back of his truck. Davis has been with the Sheriff's Office since 2013. Were ready to find out something. If convicted of manslaughter, Davis could be sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in prison. In an interview with Davis, he said he initiated the traffic stop of Brittain's white GMC truck and heard "the truck's engine rev up and then began to travel southbound in the northbound lane." Send it to The Daily Beasthere. Your life had meaning, youre loved and your family will not stop advocating until we have justice for you, Hunter, his uncle Jesse said at his eulogy. I'll say I'm not necessarily surprised by that burden," he said. The two were test-driving the vehicle about 3 a.m when Davis pulled them over. "I was not happy. Attorneys Ben Crump and Devon Jacob, representing Brittains family, criticized the sheriff for not firing Davis over the shooting itself. He's still driving on his way to the scene. While it is difficult to wait for answers, it is important that the investigation that occurs is both fair and complete.. (AP) The Rev. Please read our Terms of Use or contact us. Staley said on the witness stand during the trial that deputies should turn on their body cameras at about the time they initiate blue lights, if conducting traffic stops. Crump and Jacob also represented the family of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who died May 25, 2020, while in police custody in Minneapolis. The vehicle was smoking and making loud noises, Davis and King have said. Because of the great public interest in this case, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has made the video available, but with two alterations: The view of the victims body has been blurred by our staff out of sensitivity, and the video, which is nearly 19 minutes long, has been shortened to about 15 1/2 minutes to eliminate portions that had no audio or meaningful video. But we are going to change that. Alissa Marque Heydari, deputy director for the Institute of Innovation in Prosecution at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City, says it is recommended that if a prosecuting office is involved in an investigation, the office is staffed by prosecutors and investigators who are completely internally separate from the rest of the office. Brittain was up late working on the vehicles transmission before taking the test drive, family members have said. Davis then moves to sit in another vehicle by himself. Even though it's not the ending he wanted, defense attorney Robert Newcomb said juries often go with the lesser charge. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, A memorial for Hunter Brittain in Beebe, Arkansas last year. Arkansas State Police investigated Davis use of deadly force and turned over its findings to Fifth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Phillips, who was named special prosecutor for the case July 12. Scott Hundley said this is the beginning of what's going to be a long week for those close to Brittain. "There's a lot of wrongful police and I'm not saying all police are bad because I have law enforcement in my family, but it's the ones, like this, that give them bad names and he needs to be held accountable for it," he said. Robert Newcomb, Daviss attorney, said he planned to challenge the standard jurors used to determine whether Davis was negligent. The Arkansas State Police on Friday released body camera footage showing the moments after former Lonoke County sheriff's Deputy Michael Davis fatally shot Hunter Brittain during an early morning traffic stop June 23. Minutes after the shooting, a third deputy starts to console Davis while still at the scene. 27 June 2021 Protesters gathered outside the Lonoke County Sheriff's Office last Wednesday in Lonoke, Arkansas, consisting of friends and family of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain, who was gunned. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Honestly, I try to do the right thing. Now that the trial has begun, Brittain's Aunt Mary Robertson is praying that that accountability happens in the coming days. On June 23, 2021, 17-year-old Hunter Brittain was test driving his truck after making repairs early in the morning when he was pulled over by former Lonoke County Sgt. Rice's video also starts right before "shots fired" transmits across his radio. Without all the evidence I cannot make any determination on whether the shooting was proper.. Sheriff John Staley said that Davis had not turned on his body camera at the start of the traffic stop and only activated the device after the shooting had happened. That's what this jury says, that's a strong finding," he said. Davis was sentenced to 1-year in jail plus a $1,000 fine. On Rice's footage, crime tape starts to go up as he gets Brittain's name from King. 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