Davis said he shot Brittain once, after the teen exited his truck and. Crump questioned Grahams involvement in the case in response to inquiries Wednesday by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. This is something, Jesse Brittain, the boys uncle, told CBS News. 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 teen didnt respond to verbal commands given by the deputy, Necomb said. 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. On 1 July, the the sheriffs office announced it had fired sergeant Davis for failing to comply with the agencys body camera policy. Attorneys Ben Crump and Devon Jacob, representing Brittains family, criticized the sheriff for not firing Davis over the shooting itself. 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.. The car, which had transmission issues, began smoking and was pulled over by Davis as it neared the repair shop. 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. He also shared what made him fear for his life, which consequently made him fire his gun. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. Copyright 2023, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. 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. A key piece to the kit involves prosecutors clearly outlining decisions for the public. State Police say Hunter Britain, 17 was shot and killed by Sergeant Michael Davis. 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 pulled over Hunter Brittain, 17, on June 23, 2021, outside Cabot, a small town 30 miles north of Little Rock. Both were lawyers in George Floyd's murder case. The two conflicting narratives were hampered by the fact that Davis body camera was never turned on during the quick encounter. According to his family members, he went to place a large blue plastic bottle. They always seem to have their body cameras off. "Although Mr. Davis no longer works for my office, Ive been following this case closely. "Why'd he hop out of the truck and grab that? The Brittain family is being represented by Ben Crump, the same civil rights lawyer who represented George Floyd, a Black man murdered by a former Minneapolis police officer last summer. 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. Mike Davis plead not guilty to felony manslaughter in the death of Hunter Brittain. This is the ideal, Marque Heydari said. The jury learned the character of Davis about how he is a volunteer firefighter, a father, and has a child on the way. I dont want to jeopardize this case, its too important, he said. Crump led the crowd in chanting, Hunter Brittains life matters.. "Because the deputy failed to activate his bodycam, he has been terminated," Staley said in his statement. He wont be an officer no more and he cant kill no more kids.. Even though it's not the ending he wanted, defense attorney Robert Newcomb said juries often go with the lesser charge. Chuck. Text messages sent later that day and on June 28 were redacted by the state police agency. After another pre-trial hearing on March 14, the trial will officially begin on March 15. The charge was brought by special prosecutor Jeff Phillips of the 5th Judicial District after Lonoke County prosecutor Chuck Graham recused himself from the case. Kwami Abdul-Bey, legislative/political action chairman for the Jacksonville branch of the NAACP, said the measure would include a position at the Arkansas attorney generals office that would be responsible for investigating police shootings or brutality cases. Closing arguments lasted a little over an hour. Staley said the only footage police have is from the aftermath. If they make the wrong determination, there is a good chance they will not be reelected, he said. His attorney, Newcomb, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. That's all I asked for," Rebecca Payne, Brittain's grandma, said. According to family members, Brittain had been working on the vehicles transmission and was taking a test drive when he was stopped by Davis. It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. His attorney did not respond to a request for comment. Davis said mentioned several things that led to him firing his gun. Jordan King, a friend of Brittains in the truck at the time, said he didnt hear any commands to stop. The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. Example video title will go here for this video. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Some of Brittains family members have said a witness to the shooting claims Davis didnt offer verbal commands before the shooting. 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. 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. 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. He told the state police when he was interviewed by them that he shot one time and why. If convicted, he could face three to 10 years in prison. Davis, Newcomb said. Its about right and wrong.. The killing in the predominantly white community has drawn the attention of national civil rights activists such as Sharpton, who said concerns about police tactics arent just limited to the Black community. Brittains family has said the teenager was unarmed and was holding a jug of antifreeze when he was shot. 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. 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. ", Davis then starts yelling at a passenger, Jordan King, "What are y'all driving the vehicle like that?". Davis said he gave commands to Brittain to show his hands that were ignored. After the verdict was announced, Brittains family and friends chanted Justice for Hunter outside the national guard facility used for the trial. King, 16 at the time, said the teens had previously used a coolant container to stop the truck from rolling back. 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." You know, he'll go back to force," she said. Were ready to find out something. Famed attorney Ben Crump named one of TIME's100 Most Influential People, Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in. A cop shot and killed Hunter Brittain as the 17-year-old was trying to grab an antifreeze jug from his car. "I didn't say that this defendant was a bad guy. There were no indications of drug and alcohol use listed on the coroners report. The two were test-driving the vehicle about 3 a.m when Davis pulled them over. 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. Ive had him for the last five years of his life, his grandmother Rebecca Payne said after the killing. The following day on March 18, the jury found Michael Davis guilty of negligent homicide in the fatal shooting of Hunter Brittain after 2.5 hours of deliberation. (Photo courtesy of Arkansas State Police). Hunter Brittain (left) and then-Sgt. Send it to The Daily Beasthere. 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. 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. Crump previously released a statement that Brittain was shot three times by Lonoke County sheriffs Sgt. Few details about the shooting have been officially released over the past two months. During the trial, King told the jury that Brittain had been working on replacing his transmission all night. I cant speak to what different offices practice are. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. The case made national headlines and gained the attention of civil-rights activists, including the Rev. My nephew, Hunter, is laying in a grave or refrigeration and this man is going to get to go home," he said. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC. The prosecution team explaining that Davis "recklessly" shot Brittain who was unarmed and not dangerous, whereas the defense team, emphasized on the fact that in that moment Davis felt like his life was threatened. What happened the night Hunter Brittain died? 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. Hey, ever wounder what happened at the end of that case?? That is why it is very crucial for prosecutors to be as clear and transparent as they can be. James Golden, a professor of criminal justice at the School of Criminal Justice and Criminology at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, echoed Marque Heydaris comments. Jury deliberations lasted less than three hours. In an interview with investigators, 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. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. The maximum jail term faced by Davis, a former sergeant with the Lonoke county sheriffs office, was one year. Copyright 2023, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. I never thought anything like this would happen until it hit so close to home, said Scott Hendrickson, whose son was close friends with Brittain and who is . Al Sharpton, who spoke at Brittain's funeral July 6 at Beebe High School, where the teen attended school. Davis and King have said that Brittain jumped out of the truck as soon as he stopped for Davis. Former Arkansas deputy Michael Davis was found guilty of negligent homicide in the shooting death of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain. If there is a conflict of interest that exists and you are aware of that conflict of interest and you participate then it certainly would appear to the public that there is a hint of impropriety, Crump said. The passenger in Brittains truck said he and the teen had been working on the pickups transmission. Its about right and wrong.. 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. Michael Davis, during a traffic stop June 23 near Cabot, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of Little Rock. The family is going to continue to trust the process, Jacob said. Ultimately the 12 jurors were seated-- made up of nine women, three men, and two alternates. 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. Devon Jacob, Brittains familys attorney, described the report as unclear. Even before the memorial service, Brittains friends and family were calling for change at the state level with petitions urging the Legislature to require officers to wear body cameras that would be turned on as soon as their shift begins. King responds that the truck wouldn't shift into park. The next day, the Arkansas State Police passed the investigation file to Grahams office. 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. He claimed in documents filed in Lonoke County Circuit Court that Davis has had a very close working relationship with most members of the prosecutors office and has recently testified for the state in at least one jury trial. The motion was granted by 1st Division Circuit Judge Barbara Elmore the same day. The two government bodies work separately but lean on each other to take criminal cases to fruition. 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