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. Larger agencies might not have the day-to-day contact with individual investigators, which you find in a small prosecutors office, Golden said. What has been the reaction to the shooting? 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. Ultimately the 12 jurors were seated-- made up of nine women, three men, and two alternates. Former Arkansas deputy Michael Davis was found guilty of negligent homicide in the shooting death of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Rison hit by Wednesday night storm damage, Arkansas state legislators hit the court in Hoops, Growing old and hungry: Shelbys Pantry in Carlisle, Arkansas LEARNS Act passes through House Education, Windshield covers and other handy gear you need for, 18 trendy cowboy boots to wear this winter, 18 books youll want to read on Dr. Seuss Day, AR legislators play in charity basketball game, AR pantry helps to end hunger in elderly community, LEARNS Act passes through House Ed. An ambulance arrives on the scene at 14 minutes after "shots fired" went across the radio. [2] Killing [ edit] 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. A cop shot and killed Hunter Brittain as the 17-year-old was trying to grab an antifreeze jug from his car. Once we have the autopsy report, we will know more.. As mourners filed into the high school auditorium Tuesday morning, photos and video of Brittain were displayed on a large screen above his casket, which was decorated with blue and white ribbons, the Chevrolet symbol and Forever Chevy 17. Family members said Brittain dreamed of becoming a NASCAR driver after graduation. Moving forward, both Brittain's family and Michael Davis will be involved in separate civil lawsuits against the Lonoke County Sheriff's Office. Davis said all of these things were the reason he felt afraid for his life and thought Brittain "was going to kill him.". Hunters family is already distrustful because they havent gotten any answers whatsoever, Crump said. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Rice's camera moves at about 19 minutes into his video, and Brittain is no longer on the ground. 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. Some of Brittains family members have said a witness to the shooting claims Davis didnt offer verbal commands before the shooting. Now whats going to happen? Sharpton eulogized 17-year-old Hunter Brittain, who was shot and killed by a white Lonoke County sheriff's deputy, Sgt. We'll never have Hunter standing with us again.". If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. 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.. Crump questioned Grahams involvement in the case in response to inquiries Wednesday by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. After another pre-trial hearing on March 14, the trial will officially begin on March 15. He also pointed out that Brittain didn't listen to his commands and that he unable to see both of Brittain's hands in the bed of the truck. This is something, Jesse Brittain, the boys uncle, told CBS News. I do all the on-call stuff, Graham said in a phone conversation last week. Special prosecutors, who dont have connections to the police agency, are then appointed by the Arkansas prosecutor coordinator, Bob McMahan. 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. He took a life.. She said that is easier for larger prosecuting offices to implement. The family of Brittain has hired Devon Jacob and Benjamin Crump to represent them in the case. Highway Patrol trooper on leave after fatal Morton County shooting. He has not responded to numerous emails requesting updates on the investigation, including a message sent Wednesday. Davis said he shot Brittain once, after the teen exited his truck and. 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. 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. The document says what it says, Jacob said. [DOCUMENT: Coroners report for Noah Hunter Brittain arkansasonline.com/coronerbrittain]. 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. Devon Jacob, Brittains familys attorney, described the report as unclear. Graham said hes sent the file to the state prosecutor coordinator since hes requested a special prosecutor to handle the case. Its about right and wrong.. 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. 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 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. CPR is started almost immediately. 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. Davis is white. One of their witnesses included a law enforcement officer who has trained many officers of when to use deadly force. When Brittain was shot, Davis said that's when he saw a container in Brittain's hands that fell to the ground. Brittains family retained Ben Crump and Devin Jacob just days after the shooting. Davis, Newcomb said. Brittain was shot by a Lonoke County Sheriff's Deputy during a traffic stop on June 23. 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. Crump and Jacob have been involved in high-profile homicide cases that include those of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin and Ahmaud Arbery. An investigator with the Arkansas State Police was called to the stand after. 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. According to the affidavit, when Brittain pulled over and got out of the car, he started moving to the truck bed as the truck was rolling backward toward Davis' patrol car. The sentence has resulted in mixed emotions from many parties involved, that all had comments after the verdict. The defense also added and went through every reason why Davis feared for his life and fired the gun. "Now, what's gonna happen? In July, Phillips, a prosecutor from a district on the other side of the state, was assigned to handle the case. The next day, the Arkansas State Police passed the investigation file to Grahams office. According to the Lonoke County Sheriffs Office, Sergeant Michael Davis initiated the traffic stop at 3 a.m. on June 23. 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. Davis did not report at the time that he was in pursuit because he realized the truck was attempting to turn left into the body shop. Crump led the crowd in chanting, Hunter Brittains life matters.. There's no way around it and nobody's gonna change my mind about it," he said. Bodycam footage of an Arkansas deputy responding to the scene after former Sgt. "We were a bit surprised about this sentencing, and that they were out in about 20 minutes and came back with a maximum sentence," he said. Im his grandmother. He also got emotional multiple times during his testimony. While investigating the incident, Lonoke County Sheriff's Office discovered that Davis' body camera footage had only been turned on after Brittain had been shot. Newcomb has said Brittain was pulled over by Davis because his vehicle was smoking heavily and an engine was knocking. 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. A jury found former Lonoke County Sgt. Honestly, I try to do the right thing. Michael Davis of the Lonoke County sheriff's office are shown in this undated combination of courtesy photos. Closing arguments lasted a little over an hour. 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. "I was not happy. Jurors acquitted Michael Davis of manslaughter while finding him guilty of the misdemeanor charge in the death of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain during a June traffic stop outside Cabot, a city of about 26,000 people roughly 30 miles north-east of Little Rock. While it is difficult to wait for answers, it is important that the investigation that occurs is both fair and complete.. Some of Brittains family members have said a witness to the shooting claims Davis didnt offer verbal commands before the shooting. 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. 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. Davis has been with the Sheriff's Office since 2013. They always seem to have their body cameras off. The jurys decision is a declaration that an Arkansas law enforcement officer, in full uniform, unlawfully killed Hunter Brittain, the attorneys said. 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. The civil-rights attorneys also represented the family of George Floyd, who died in 2020 while in police custody in Minneapolis. 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. Brittain's family said he was working on his truck right before he drove it down the road and was pulled over by Davis. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, A memorial for Hunter Brittain in Beebe, Arkansas last year. 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. 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 would have faced between three and 10 years in prison for manslaughter, a felony. 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. To Graham, Phillips, a memorial for Hunter Brittain in Beebe, Arkansas last year said. 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