hunter brittain arkansas shooting

(Tommy Metthe/The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. What has been the reaction to the shooting? Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. The report said that a sergeant with the Lonoke County sheriffs office who has been identified as Michael Davis conducted a traffic stop at Arkansas 89 and Tower Road when the decedent [Brittain] got out of the vehicle and got something out of the back before moving toward the sergeant, after which the sergeant fired his weapon. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. 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. Brittains family retained Ben Crump and Devin Jacob just days after the shooting. Davis told investigators he shot Brittain once in the neck after the teen exited his truck and reached into the bed of the pickup while failing to comply with commands to show his hands, according to the arrest affidavit. State Police say Hunter Britain, 17 was shot and killed by Sergeant Michael Davis. [DOCUMENT: Coroners report for Noah Hunter Brittain arkansasonline.com/coronerbrittain]. Brittain turned into a nearby parking lot and jumped out of the backward moving vehicle and reached into the back of the truck, he said. After Phillips announcement that a warrant would be issued for Davis arrest on Friday, the courtroom burst into cheers. 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. The issue of policing is not about Black and white, Reverend Al Sharpton said at a eulogy for Mr Brittain. While it is difficult to wait for answers, it is important that the investigation that occurs is both fair and complete.. 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. The Arkansas State Crime Laboratory cant publicly release the autopsy report because of Arkansas Code 1212-312, Director Kermit Channell said. Are people gonna have to fear for their life again? Pierson pled guilty to one count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. Jordan King, a friend of Brittains in the truck at the time, said he didnt hear any commands to stop. He has not responded to numerous emails requesting updates on the investigation, including a message sent Wednesday. He is the first law enforcement officer to be convicted by an Arkansas jury for an on-duty shooting in recent history. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. The last witness called in by prosecution was Davis' former boss, Sheriff John Staley, who told the jury that Davis had issues with turning on his body camera in the past. His attorney, Newcomb, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Hunter Brittain (left) and then-Sgt. The car, which had transmission issues, began smoking and was pulled over by Davis as it neared the repair shop. All rights reserved. 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. And also justice for all of our other brothers and sisters dying at the hands of law enforcement hired to protect and serve us around this country.. Rev. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, A memorial for Hunter Brittain in Beebe, Arkansas last year. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. My chief deputy hand carried it up to Bob McMahan. On July 14, two weeks after Graham first announced his recusal, the Arkansas State Police denied the Arkansas Democrat-Gazettes Freedom of Information Act request for body-camera footage, saying the video is part of an active investigation. He has not responded to numerous emails requesting updates on the investigation, including a message sent Wednesday. That's all I asked for," Rebecca Payne, Brittain's grandma, said. The defense also added and went through every reason why Davis feared for his life and fired the gun. Attorneys Ben Crump and Devon Jacob, representing Brittains family, criticized the sheriff for not firing Davis over the shooting itself. What happened the night Hunter Brittain died? Ultimately the 12 jurors were seated-- made up of nine women, three men, and two alternates. 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. Family members said Brittain was grabbing a container that held antifreeze to place behind the trucks wheel, to stop it rolling backward. I was working from home. "Although Mr. Davis no longer works for my office, Ive been following this case closely. 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. Davis shot Brittain once while Brittain's hands were still in the truck bed, according to Davis' statement to state police investigators and his testimony while on the stand. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC. He wont be an officer no more and he cant kill no more kids.. During his instruction it states that you must tell the subject you are going to shoot them before "if possible." Crump and Jacob have been involved in high-profile homicide cases that include those of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin and Ahmaud Arbery. 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Your life had meaning, youre loved and your family will not stop advocating until we have justice for you, Hunter, he said. Brittain's family retained civil-rights attorneys Benjamin Crump and Devon Jacob soon after the shooting to handle the teen's estate and any civil suits. Al Sharpton, left, and attorney Benjamin Crump, right, escort Rebecca Payne to view her grandson's casket during the funeral service for 17-year-old Hunter Brittain, on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, at the Beebe High Schools Auditorium in Beebe, Ark. The misdemeanor charge enables Davis to still be eligible to serve as a law enforcement officer. There were no indications of drug and alcohol use listed on the coroners report. The case has garnered national attention, as calls for police reform continue around the country in the wake of last summers widespread Black Lives Matter protests. My nephew, Hunter, is laying in a grave or refrigeration and this man is going to get to go home," he said. After closing arguments, one juror had to leave for a medical emergency and they had to bring in an alternate juror, with deliberation beginning around 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 17. But it turned out to just be a jug of antifreeze. When Brittain was about to remove his hands from the back of the truck, Davis said he shot once before he could see what Brittain was holding. The family is going to continue to trust the process, Jacob said. Press J to jump to the feed. Suspect in shooting of Springdale woman shot by officer after pointing gun at police, Communication program for people with nonverbal autistm coming to Fort Smith, Heavy rain and storms likely to increase Thursday across Arkansas, Storm warning fatigue | Alerting Arkansas. He said he never heard any verbal cues from Davis until after the shots were fired. I didnt get into this job to kill people, he said. Once we have the autopsy report, we will know more.. 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 passenger in Brittains truck said he and the teen had been working on the pickups transmission. During the early morning hours of June 23, Davis spotted Brittain driving a vehicle that was smoking heavily and an engine that was knocking, Newcomb said Wednesday. The jury learned the character of Davis about how he is a volunteer firefighter, a father, and has a child on the way. As Brittain did this, Davis shot one round at Brittain in his lower right neck. Melissia McMahan, who is the Brittain familys mail carrier and knew the teen since he was a toddler, said she had thought about the need for police reform before Brittains death but hadnt thought it was something her own community would face. A cop shot and killed Hunter Brittain as the 17-year-old was trying to grab an antifreeze jug from his car. When asked for more information, such as the number of times Davis shot Brittain, Shantea Nelson, office manager in the Pulaski County coroners office, said that a state medical examiners autopsy report would have more information than a coroners report. The civil-rights attorneys also represented the family of George Floyd, who died in 2020 while in police custody in Minneapolis. Family and friends of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain, including his uncle, Harley Brittain (left), hold a rally outside the Lonoke County sheriff's office in Lonoke in this June 23, 2021, file. Michael Davis, during a traffic stop June 23 near Cabot, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of Little Rock. "I was not happy. Robert Newcomb, Davis' defense attorney, has said Davis believed that he had turned the camera on and didn't realize it wasn't working until after firing the shot that killed Brittain. Crump questioned Grahams involvement in the case in response to inquiries Wednesday by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Newcomb, a Little Rock attorney who often represents police officers, requested a grievance hearing on behalf of Davis from Lonoke County. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. 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. His attorney did not respond to a request for comment. A passenger and another witness testified they never heard Davis tell the teen to show his hands. Unfortunately no one was ever trained on what the "if possible" meant. Newcomb, a Little Rock attorney who often represents police officers, requested a grievance hearing on behalf of Davis from Lonoke County. 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. It will be automatic. Abdul-Bey said prosecutors involvement in police-shooting cases has faced increased scrutiny since Little Rock resident Bradley Black-shire was fatally shot by officer Charles Starks on Feb. 22, 2019. You know, he'll go back to force," she said. 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. 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. Him in may 2020, said he didnt hear any commands to stop it rolling backward hand. 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