His death sparked nationwide protests over policing and racial inequality. 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. A passenger and another witness testified they never heard Davis tell the teen to show his hands. Former Arkansas deputy Michael Davis was found guilty of negligent homicide in the shooting death of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain. The family of Brittain has hired Devon Jacob and Benjamin Crump to represent them in the case. btw before the traffic stop, the officer turned off his body-cam, then turned it on after the shooting which is against department policy. Send it to The Daily Beasthere. 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. Due to that failure, I have terminated the employment of this deputy, the sheriff said in a video statement on Facebook. 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. Family members said Brittain was grabbing a container that held antifreeze to place behind the trucks wheel, to stop it rolling backward. The report from the Pulaski County coroner said the initial 911 call came in at 3:08 a.m. on June 23 and Brittain was pronounced dead around 3:58 a.m. by an attending physician at Baptist Health Medical Center in North Little Rock. Davis said all of these things were the reason he felt afraid for his life and thought Brittain "was going to kill him.". Davis attorney, Robert Newcomb, said the report throws doubt on earlier statements from Brittains family members and their attorneys that the teen was shot three times. Larger agencies might not have the day-to-day contact with individual investigators, which you find in a small prosecutors office, Golden said. "Although Mr. Davis no longer works for my office, Ive been following this case closely. "I don't think it's fair. Even though it's not the ending he wanted, defense attorney Robert Newcomb said juries often go with the lesser charge. Michael Davis, a former police sergeant in Arkansas, has been charged with manslaughter for "recklessly" shooting and Hunter Brittain, an unarmed 17-year-old killed during a traffic stop. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. 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 Sheriffs Office. The document says what it says, Jacob said. While the verdict isn't something they agree with, the Brittain family said they do accept it. Davis told authorities he gave "several commands" to Brittain to get back in his car and to show his hands as Brittain reached with both hands into the bed of the truck when he fired his weapon. Highway Patrol trooper on leave after fatal Morton County shooting. Jurors found Michael Davis, a former sergeant with the Lonoke County sheriff's office, guilty in the shooting death last year of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain during a traffic stop. 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. Ive had him for the last five years of his life, his grandmother Rebecca Payne said after the killing. The young man jumped out and ran to the back of the car and stuck his hands into the back of the vehicle and still wasnt responding to any verbal commands, Newcomb said. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported that Davis was also given a $1,000 fine. There were no indications of drug and alcohol use listed on the coroners report. Committee, Families file 100+ complaints against cemetery in, Farmers share their voices at the AR State Capitol, House Education Committee advances Arkansas LEARNS, Embattled UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigns, Zelensky: There will be two Victory Days in Ukraine. Both were lawyers in George Floyd's murder case. 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. Its about right and wrong.. According to the Lonoke County Sheriffs Office, Sergeant Michael Davis initiated the traffic stop at 3 a.m. on June 23. All I wanted from day one is for him to get a felony where he could not be in law enforcement again and carry a weapon. Without all the evidence I cannot make any determination on whether the shooting was proper.. I think its murder, she said. Brittains family retained Ben Crump and Devin Jacob just days after the shooting. 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.. 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. I didn't say he was a mean guy. 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. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. Davis claimed in that interview that he shouted at Brittain to "show me our hands." Scott Hundley said this is the beginning of what's going to be a long week for those close to Brittain. The family's attorney, Devon Jacob said they aren't going to focus on the charges, but rather look at the meaning behind the jury's decision. The family of Brittain has hired Devon Jacob and Benjamin Crump to represent them in the case. According to family members, Brittain had been working on the vehicles transmission and was taking a test drive when he was stopped by Davis. 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 two were test-driving the vehicle about 3 a.m when Davis pulled them over. Phillips received the investigative file on July 15, according to an email from the prosecutor coordinating office. As I have said since day one, this was a tragic event and we all need to continue praying for those involved," Staley said. He also shared what made him fear for his life, which consequently made him fire his gun. 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. The sheriff said he respected the jurys decision. The state police released a majority of the investigative file Friday. who was shot and killed by a white Lonoke County sheriffs deputy. The next day, the Arkansas State Police passed the investigation file to Grahams office. The police officer has a lot more situational awareness of a danger than maybe you or I would be aware of, Newcomb said. Al Sharpton, who spoke at Brittain's funeral July 6 at Beebe High School, where the teen attended school. But King said Davis never gave any commands to Brittain before he shot him. We definitely have been trying to come up with a way, when a citizen dies by law enforcement, for there to be an additional route to investigate that, that doesnt involve any of the agencies that work with the officers, Abdul-Bey said. King responds that the truck wouldn't shift into park. The day ended with the body camera footage and testimony will resume on Wednesday, March 16, at 9 a.m. During the second day of the trial, the jury watched Davis' recorded interview with state police which was conducted five days after the shooting. What were the ramification to the LEO that decided to break their oath?? I never touched it, Graham said when asked about the file. The trial for a former Lonoke County Sheriff's Deputy accused of killing an unarmed teenager during a traffic stop happened this week. Attorney Ben Crump and Jacob were retained by Brittains family in the days after the shooting as the case received national attention. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. But if we segregate how we react, then were wrong.. Its time they start letting us know something., Community members also rallied behind the Brittain family, demanding Justice for Hunter.. 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." "I was not happy. Details about when the camera was activated and what footage was captured arent publicly known because Freedom of Information Act requests for the footage have been denied. The people of this county are good, decent people and they, like me, want to see accountability and transparency in this situation, Staley wrote on the offices Facebook page. Press J to jump to the feed. The prosecution told the jury to look at the evidence--if Davis was able to say, which he testified that he did, "show me your hands" and "get back in the vehicle," then he enough time to tell Brittain, "I am going to shoot you.". Jordan King told police that the two had been working on the truck's transmission all night and were test driving it. On July 1, a little more than a week after the shooting, Chuck Graham, prosecuting attorney for the 23rd Judicial District, told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that he planned to file a motion for the assignment of a special prosecutor. Former Arkansas deputy Michael Davis was found guilty of negligent homicide in the shooting death of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain. ", Davis then starts yelling at a passenger, Jordan King, "What are y'all driving the vehicle like that?". This is something, Jesse Brittain, the boys uncle, told CBS News. The case attracted attention from national civil rights leaders better known for their work with Black Lives Matter. Brttain went to the bed to get something(transmission fluid / anti-freeze) for the truck. the officer fired 1 shot killing the teen. The Arkansas State Crime Laboratory cant publicly release the autopsy report because of Arkansas Code 1212-312, Director Kermit Channell said. Robert Newcomb, Daviss attorney, said he planned to challenge the standard jurors used to determine whether Davis was negligent. 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. There were no indications of drug and alcohol use listed on the coroners report. In their closing arguments, the defense highlighted Davis' character and how he became a police officer to help people, not hurt people. At that point, that was within a couple days of the event.. During a public memorial for Brittain earlier this week, Rev. The defense also added and went through every reason why Davis feared for his life and fired the gun. Well, wonder no more! On Sept. 20, Davis was released on a $15,000 bond. He has not responded to numerous emails requesting updates on the investigation, including a message sent Wednesday. Arkansas State Police are investigating Brittains death. Rice's camera moves at about 19 minutes into his video, and Brittain is no longer on the ground. Brittains family has said the teenager was unarmed and was holding a jug of antifreeze when he was shot. Davis pulled over Hunter Brittain, 17, on June 23, 2021, outside Cabot, a small town 30 miles north of Little Rock. 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. No matter which side you looked at, it was a difficult week for everyone. "Because the deputy failed to activate his bodycam, he has been terminated," Staley said in his statement. Davis was originally charged with felony manslaughter Sept. 17. "It was cold-blooded murder by the Lonoke police. Davis said mentioned several things that led to him firing his gun. Brittain was eulogized last year by the civil rights leader the Rev Al Sharpton, who said the death highlighted the need for interracial support for changes in policing. Because he is not here, we all have to unite together and make sure people all over America know that we will get justice for Hunter Brittain, Crump said. He said Davis gave verbal commands directing Brittain stay in the vehicle. Davis attorney, Robert Newcomb, previously told The Daily Beast that Davis feared the worst when Brittain hopped out and reached into the bed of his truck. Davis then moves to sit in another vehicle by himself. 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