You could always say Mr. Graham should have stepped away immediately but that is hindsight, Newcomb said. 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 gone wrong. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. The report was first requested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on July 8. This is my opinion. Crump said a proposed bill that is being referred to as Hunters Law would include a mandate that body cameras be active during interactions between police and civilians and that those videos be released immediately to the public. The defense also added and went through every reason why Davis feared for his life and fired the gun. Hey, ever wounder what happened at the end of that case?? The issue of policing is not about Black and white, Sharpton told a packed auditorium at Beebe High School, where Brittain was a rising senior. "I was hoping for a not guilty verdict on both charges. Pierson pled guilty to one count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. "I didn't say that this defendant was a bad guy. Heres what you need to know. The civil-rights attorneys also represented the family of George Floyd, who died in 2020 while in police custody in Minneapolis. Brittains family has said the teenager was unarmed and was holding a jug of antifreeze when he was shot. Jordan King was the passenger in the truck at the time of the shooting and was placed into custody by Davis and another unnamed deputy. 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. The email went on to state, Chuck Graham, Lonoke Prosecuting Attorney, has further opposed the release of the body camera footage related to this incident at this time. When asked by the Democrat-Gazette, Graham confirmed that he continued to communicate with the state police agency up until filing his recusal. The jurys decision is a declaration that an Arkansas law enforcement officer, in full uniform, unlawfully killed Hunter Brittain, the attorneys said. That's when the jury was shown what body camera footage there is in this case, which only shows what happened after Brittain was shot. 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On Rice's footage, crime tape starts to go up as he gets Brittain's name from King. 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. 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. 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. The state police released a majority of the investigative file Friday. 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. The document says what it says, Jacob said. He was my grandson. Its time they start letting us know something., Community members also rallied behind the Brittain family, demanding Justice for Hunter.. His attorney did not respond to a request for comment. 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. [2] Killing [ edit] (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Metthe). King said he never heard any commands from Davis before the gunshot. When Brittain was shot, Davis said that's when he saw a container in Brittain's hands that fell to the ground. Michael Davis of the Lonoke County sheriff's office are shown in this undated combination of courtesy photos. Davis was originally charged with felony manslaughter Sept. 17. The coroners report does not specify how many times Brittain was shot but does list the immediate cause/manner of death as gunshot wound of neck and arm. The firearm was listed as a police-issued, semi-automatic pistol. There is no body camera footage of the incident, though the officer had a camera in his possession. 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. It makes you concerned that they are looking for a weapon. Newcomb said he isnt concerned by Grahams involvement with investigators. The civil rights attorneys, who represented George Floyds family after Minneapolis police killed him in May 2020, 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. The white teens death prompted protests in a region of the state not known for speaking out against police violence. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. No. Hunter Brittain (left) and then-Sgt. 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. CPR is started almost immediately. (AP) The Rev. When asked what that might include, he said, Not much for the state police. As I have said since day one, this was a tragic event and we all need to continue praying for those involved," Staley said. State Police say Hunter Britain, 17 was shot and killed by Sergeant Michael Davis. 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. A key piece to the kit involves prosecutors clearly outlining decisions for the public. The biggest thing about his testimony was that he said he never heard Davis give any verbal cues until after Brittain was shot. During the trial, King told the jury that Brittain had been working on replacing his transmission all night. Davis said that before he could put his own car in park, Brittain jumped out and moved to the rear of the truck and began reaching into the bed as it slowly rolled backward. 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. Please read our Terms of Use or contact us. 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. 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. Davis said he shot Brittain once, after the teen exited his truck and. 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. Hes currently being held in an undisclosed jail, after being booked in Lonoke County. The teen didnt respond to verbal commands given by the deputy, Necomb said. After a short break, open arguments started around 2:30 p.m. The teen didnt respond to verbal commands given by the deputy, Necomb said. Hunter's Uncle, Jesse Brittain, said all they wanted was acknowledgment and an apology. The trial for a former Lonoke County Sheriff's Deputy accused of killing an unarmed teenager during a traffic stop happened this week. He has not responded to numerous emails requesting updates on the investigation, including a message sent Wednesday. Few details about the shooting have been officially released over the past two months. One officer was convicted of murder in Floyds death. On Sept. 20, Davis was released on a $15,000 bond. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Phillips was passed the investigative file by the coordinating office July 15, according to an email from McMahan. (Tommy Metthe/The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Davis was fired from the Lonoke County sheriff's office on July 1 after Sheriff John Staley said Davis violated policy by not turning on his camera prior to encountering Brittain. Brittain made his way to the truck bed, where he grabbed a blue coolant jug. On Friday, the Arkansas State Police released the law enforcement video of the aftermath of the June 23, 2021, shooting death of Hunter Brittain in Lonoke County. 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. The state police were delayed in releasing the footage immediately after the trial as they waited on formal paperwork from the Lonoke County Circuit Court. 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.. Shortly after the shooting, Davis was fired by the Lonoke County Sheriffs Office for breaking their body-camera policy. The judge added that no one can wear t-shirts or have any signs on their cars starting on Tuesday, March 15, when jury selection begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 15, started with jury selection, which took about four hours. The video was first seen by the public during the first day of Davis' trial. Highway Patrol trooper on leave after fatal Morton County shooting. Brittain had been fatally shot by a Lonoke County sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop early that morning. As Brittain did this, Davis shot one round at Brittain in his lower right neck. 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. Newcomb has said Brittain was pulled over by Davis because his vehicle was smoking heavily and an engine was knocking. I cant speak to what different offices practice are. 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. The Arkansas State Crime Laboratory cant publicly release the autopsy report because of Arkansas Code 1212-312, Director Kermit Channell said. It was released after the March 18 closure of a trial in which Davis, 31, was convicted of misdemeanor negligent homicide in the death of the 17-year-old from McRae. An investigator with the Arkansas State Police was called to the stand after. Michael Davis near Cabot, Arkansas, United States. Brittains family and friends have held protests nightly outside the Lonoke County sheriffs office and have complained about the lack of information released. 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. The sheriff said he respected the jurys decision. Davis claimed in that interview that he shouted at Brittain to "show me our hands." 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. Now whats going to happen? She said that is easier for larger prosecuting offices to implement. 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.. Al Sharpton gave a eulogy asking for the public to come together to help push for policing reforms. 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