I never touched it, Graham said when asked about the file. 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. 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. Copyright 2023, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. On Sept. 20, Davis was released on a $15,000 bond. 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. "I was not happy. King was in the car with Brittain in the early morning hours of June 23, 2021. He is the first law enforcement officer to be convicted by an Arkansas jury for an on-duty shooting in recent history. The family of Brittain has hired Devon Jacob and Benjamin Crump to represent them in the case. "I was hoping for a not guilty verdict on both charges. I was working from home. On July 1, over a week after Brittain's death, Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley announced through a Facebook video Thursday that former Sergeant Mike Davis was fired due to policy violations. 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. 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. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. There were no indications of drug and alcohol use listed on the coroners report. On June 24, Graham sent an email to state police special agent Robert Middleton saying, Per our phone conversation, we will not be releasing the body camera video of the recent Officer Involved Shooting in Lonoke County at this time. 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. 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. Minutes after the shooting, a third deputy starts to console Davis while still at the scene. Davis mentioned Brittain's 'loud' and 'smoking' truck, along with their interaction happening 3 a.m. CPR is started almost immediately. "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. As Brittain did this, Davis shot one round at Brittain in his lower right neck. Davis,. When Brittain was shot, Davis said that's when he saw a container in Brittain's hands that fell to the ground. 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. What were the ramification to the LEO that decided to break their oath?? After a short break, open arguments started around 2:30 p.m. 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. "Because the deputy failed to activate his bodycam, he has been terminated," Staley said in his statement. He told the state police when he was interviewed by them that he shot one time and why. While it is difficult to wait for answers, it is important that the investigation that occurs is both fair and complete.. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. The family is going to continue to trust the process, Jacob said. Please read our Terms of Use or contact us. 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. Staley on Monday said he welcomed those who want to peacefully protest, but that out-of-state activists could risk inflaming an already difficult situation.. 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. Davis was fired by the Lonoke county sheriff, John Staley, for not turning on his body camera until after shooting Brittain. 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. Rice's camera moves at about 19 minutes into his video, and Brittain is no longer on the ground. What has been the reaction to the shooting? 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. 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. 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 civil rights leaders. Hunter Brittain (left) and then-Sgt. One of their witnesses included a law enforcement officer who has trained many officers of when to use deadly force. 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. What happened the night Hunter Brittain died? 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. On Nov. 15, former Lonoke County Sgt. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. The Lonoke Co. sheriff said he supports the public release of body cam video in the fatal shooting of Hunter Brittain when the "State Police investigation allow it." More Videos Next up in 5 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Brittain's family said he was working on his truck right before he drove it down the road and was pulled over by Davis. How much help are American volunteers in Ukraine? The former deputy said Brittain wasn't listening and his hands were in the back of the truck and that's when Davis fired at Brittain. 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. Videos from body cameras show moments after deputy fired fatal shot, The Arkansas State Police released video Friday from the body camera of former Lonoke County Deputy Michael Davis, taken the night 17-year-old Hunter Brittain was fatally shot during a traffic stop near Cabot. 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.". Davis retained Arkansas attorney Robert Newcomb after being fired for what Sheriff John Staley described as a policy violation for failure to turn on his body camera in a timely manner. Al Sharpton, who spoke at Brittain's funeral July 6 at Beebe High School, where the teen attended school. Crump previously released a statement that Brittain was shot three times by Lonoke County sheriffs Sgt. 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 two conflicting narratives were hampered by the fact that Davis body camera was never turned on during the quick encounter. He was sentenced to one year of probation and 300 hours of community service. Davis, an eight-year veteran with the Lonoke County Sheriffs office, gave the boy commands to stop and shot him before he could see what he was retrieving, which turned out to be a jug of antifreeze. Michael Davis to spend a year in jail but acquitted of manslaughter over death of Hunter Brittain, 17, during June traffic stop. "It's going to be hard, it's been hard, it's been hard since June," he said. When buying cowboy boots, there are a few aspects to consider, such as how far up they go on your legs and their design. He said he never heard any verbal cues from Davis until after the shots were fired. 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. One bullet can go through and cause injury in more than one location, Newcomb said. Post your articles here so that everyone will have a chance to see our government at work (or showing their lack thereof) taking their own to task! The passenger in Brittains truck said he and the teen had been working on the pickups transmission. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. Larger agencies might not have the day-to-day contact with individual investigators, which you find in a small prosecutors office, Golden said. 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. They argued that the shooting shows how police violence affects all people and called for reform. The family is going to continue to trust the process, Jacob said. He would have faced between three and 10 years in prison for manslaughter, a felony. While the verdict isn't something they agree with, the Brittain family said they do accept it. 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.. State Police say Hunter Britain, 17 was shot and killed by Sergeant Michael Davis. The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. Ultimately the 12 jurors were seated-- made up of nine women, three men, and two alternates. Devon Jacob, Brittains familys attorney, described the report as unclear. 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. 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