Jeff Phillips, special prosecutor for the case, most recently denied a Freedom of Information Act request for the footage on July 19. If youre for Biden, wear your Biden button and keep marching. Unlock premium content, ad-free browsing, and access to comments for just $4/month. "There is no national standard," said Alissa Marque Heydari, deputy director for the Institute of Innovation in Prosecution at the college. Davis cried Thursday as he described the events that led to him killing teen Hunter Brittain during an early morning traffic stop June 23. An investigation is underway. Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley released a video on Facebook Wednesday in which he states that he had provided state police with body camera footage of the shooting. I'm his grandmother. Marque Heydari said prosecutors could set guidelines, such as all witnesses must be interviewed in the investigation before release of the footage. Hunter Brittains life mattered just as much as Andrew Browns. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Robert Newcomb, a Little Rock attorney who often represents fired police officers, has been retained by Davis. Crump said the proposed Hunter's Law would require that all body cameras be active when law enforcement officers interact with the public, and that resulting videos be released immediately to the public. Officials have repeatedly denied the release of body camera footage since the June 23 shooting, citing it as part of an ongoing investigation. People then streamed past the coffin. He urged all to unite behind equal justice for all races.. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, our readers value great journalism. ET on weekends on MSNBC. And he said if the deputy had enough time to shoot, he had enough time to turn on the body camera., And, yes, Sharpton said, he is seeking publicity. Devon Jacob, whos been a lawyer for George Floyds family, said racism is sometimes an element in police shootings. The predominantly white audience received me and attorney Benjamin Crump and others with open arms as we demanded justice in unison. [8], Davis was found guilty at trial in March 2022 of negligent homicide, but not guilty of manslaughter and was sentenced to 1 year in jail plus a $1,000 fine. Mr Brittan's grandmother was among people protesting outside the Sheriff's office. Founded 1974, the Arkansas Times is a lively, opinionated source for news, politics & culture in Arkansas. For 48 years, we've been fighting the good fight in Little Rock and beyond with your support, we can do even more. With working class resistance growing, the Democrats and Biden are now diverting hundreds of millions of dollars in pandemic relief funds into the hiring of more police. Lonoke County circuit court judge on Monday chose Jeff Phillips to handle the case of the death of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain by Sgt. This admonishment angered those protesting Brittains murder. They didnt say one word that I know of, King said. Supporting the Arkansas Times' independent journalism is more vital than ever. Then I said. 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. , where rallies have continued for three nights. The body camera footage would be available once the case is closed or criminal charges are made, Steinbuch said. The Lonoke County Sheriff's Office said it has turned the investigation of the shooting over to Arkansas State Police. 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Despite this being one of those unarmed police shooting deaths that so often arouse the media, neither the New York Times nor the Washington Post has done a single piece of reporting on the incident. Brittain was transported to Baptist Health Medical Center in North Little Rock by Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services. Brittains family members told the Associated Press they had wanted Davis convicted of a felony because it would have meant he couldnt work in law enforcement again. It was 3 a.m. on a dark stretch of rural highway, and 17-year-old Hunter Brittain and his cousin were test-driving the pickup truck they'd been tinkering with at a local repair shop all night.. James Golden, a professor of criminal justice at the UALR School of Criminal Justice and Criminology, said it is important to protect criminal investigations by not releasing the footage until after it is complete. Saved Searches . Based on a 2021 analysis of data from the US National COVID Cohort Collaborative, 20.2% of adults hospitalized for COVID-19 experienced a severe clinical course involving either invasive ventilatory support, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), or death. Davis was fired because he hadnt activated his bodycam during the shooting but attorneys for Brittains family say Sheriff John Staley should have fired Davis for shooting Brittain, a white teenager whose death drew national headlines and attention from civil rights activists. Just two days after Brittains death, 23-year-old Dimitri Lanahan was also shot dead by police near Fairbanks, Alaska, after brandishing a fake gun. Davis, 31, was charged with felony manslaughter after the . Killing of Hunter Brittain Read Edit View history At approximately 3:00 am ( CDT) on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, 17-year-old Hunter Brittain, who was unarmed, was shot by Lonoke County sheriff's deputy Sgt. Hunter Brittain, 17, was holding a blue jug of antifreeze when he was shot three times by a Lonoke County Sheriff's deputy in June. As Brittain pulled into the parking lot of Mahoneys, both Brittain and King opened their doors to let the smoke out. Tennessee's 2017 law provides that law enforcement body-camera videos of specifically named situations be treated as confidential, such as videos taken of minors at school. Michael Davis was sentenced Friday to a year in prison on a negligent homicide charge for the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain on June 23. However, Davis, after allegedly issuing commands, fired one round, piercing Brittains arm and striking him in the lower-right neck. We come for what is right. The mostly white audience applauded. Young Hunter did nothing wrong, just like George Floyd and others did nothing wrong but if we segregate how we react to the states violence, then we are in the wrong. Davis replied he could not see Brittains hands, nor what was in his hand prior to discharging his county-issued firearm. Since the beginning of the incident, Phillips continued, There was no evidence of firearms located in or around Brittains truck and never has been since the investigation.. Hundley said he spoke with Hunter at about 7 pm the night before his death. Crump invoked other police slaying cases hed joined George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Christian Hall and Hunter Brittain. Michael Davis bond set at $15K Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley confirmed Davis posted bond within an hour and is now out of jail. "On the one end of the pendulum, there are the states that actually make it tough to get body camera videos explicitly," she said. Protesters gathered outside the Lonoke County Sheriffs Office last Wednesday in Lonoke, Arkansas, consisting of friends and family of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain, who was gunned down by police during a traffic stop early that morning. -- Reps. M. M. Smith, Erickson, Cobb-Hunter, Pedalino, Lawson, Sessions, Bamberg, Hiott, Carter, Pope, Felder, Guffey . Regardless of what happens in the public eye, there should be a standard to at least release footage to relatives and attorneys involved in the case, said Kwami Abdul-Bey, legislative/political action chairman for the Jacksonville branch of the NAACP. We dont just stand up for one race; we come for what is right, period. I have demanded justice for countless other victims of police brutality, and we demand justice now for Hunter and his family. King said, contrary to the officers testimony, that he never heard anyone say, show me your hands, or anything similar prior to the shooting. 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. He was white too, so you likely hadnt heard about that one either. Al Sharpton spoke at Brittains funeral. For nearly four decades, I have stood alongside grieving families, preached at funerals, led marches against police brutality and fought on behalf of people who are voiceless. Did the officer hold a reasonable belief that his safety or the safety of others was at risk? Meanwhile, they reject any policies in response to the pandemic, based on science, that impinge on the profit interests of the corporate-financial oligarchy, sacrificing the lives mainly of workers to the economic interests of Wall Street. Qualified immunity for law officers must end, he said, to an ovation. Ive had him for the last five years of his life. The white teen's. Jordan King, Brittains 16-year-old friend and an eye-witness, said he and Brittain had worked through the night to change the transmission on Brittains truck after having driven approximately one mile down the road to Mahoneys Body Shop to make the repairs. Lets all wait until the facts are confirmed.. When Pope County Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Phillips, acting as the special prosecutor in this case, announced the charge during . He mentioned his confusion as to why the deputy would shoot Brittain when he brandished no weapon and did not appear threatening. Michael Davis shot Hunter Brittain during a June 23 traffic stop outside an auto repair shop Andrew Demillo, Associated Press file Attorney Ben Crump stands next to Hunter Brittain's casket. The warrant for Daviss arrest was issued by First Division Circuit Court Judge Barbara Elmore of the 23rd Judicial District the same morning of the affidavit. The case status is Disposed - Other Disposed. [3], The body camera of the deputy was turned over to Arkansas State Police. For example, it suggests possible timelines such as 10 days after an incident. The suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages and, if successful, the county is the likeliest source of money to satisfy a judgment. Newcomb says Brittain was pulled over by Davis because his vehicle was smoking heavily and the engine was knocking. He suggested a law that would require law enforcement agencies to affirmatively post videos of events. 2023 The Federalist, A wholly independent division of FDRLST Media. As I stated at his service, Hunter had a bottle of antifreeze, and perhaps that is the message: We must unfreeze hearts because for too long we have been frozen in our own race, our own class, our own comfort levels. Setting and Participants A total of 173 sedentary, overweight (body mass index . This death-related article is a stub. State police say the circumstances of the traffic stop and what led to the deputy to fire his gun at Mr Brittain "will be documented in the investigation". The teenager then fell to the ground face down. Forced, momentarily, to acknowledge the reality that police violence affects people of every race and ethnicity, Sharpton has moved on. The sheriff's office says Sgt Davis will be on administrative leave pending the outcome of the state police's investigation. Comforting grieving families and speaking at funerals for victims of police brutality never gets any easier. The attorneys also represented the family of George Floyd, 46, who died in 2020 while in police custody in Minneapolis. [2] Killing [ edit] As a reader of the Arkansas Times, you know were dedicated to bringing you tough, determined, and feisty journalism that holds the powerful accountable. I didn't hear it and it happened so fast," Mr King told the station. Sharpton recounted Crumps call inviting him to join the Brittain case. Members get daily listing updates. [He was] sending me pictures of his truck at the shop. Instead, [Staley] fired Davis for not recording the crime, instead of for committing the crime, attorneys Ben Crump and Devon Jacob said in a statement after the sentencing. They said his friend, Jordan King, 16, was with Mr Brittain and said the pair were pulled over after leaving the car garage. As I said that day, we may come from different backgrounds and might not agree on politics, but this is bigger than that; all of us want to see our children come home at night safe and protected. Hunter Brittain, 17, was killed by Davis on June 23, 2021. I want the whole world to know the name of Hunter Brittain. They are the one who is going to make that determination.". One blanket statement won't cover it, Lawrence said. The bill also bans chokeholds and no-knock warrants, requires the use of bodycams and so much more. Sergeant Michael Davis pulled 17-year-old Hunter Brittain over along Arkansas Highway 89 at 3:00 a.m. for unknown reasons. [6], The death of Brittain inspired protests. It's time they start letting us know something.". Beebe, Ark. Of those deaths 47 were killed by self inflicted wounds and by other cops. On July 14, the Arkansas State Police responded to a formal Freedom of Information Act request from the Democrat-Gazette for the footage and said the record is part of an "open and ongoing, undisclosed investigation by law enforcement." More than a month after a Lonoke County deputy shot and killed 17-year-old Hunter Brittain, officials have yet to release body camera footage amid a national conversation about police transparency. A Sheriff's Deputy Shot and Killed Him", "Lonoke deputy shoots, kills youth after traffic stop UPDATE", "Cousin of teen killed by deputy walks with American flag to remember last moments alive", "Arkansas deputy fired after fatally shooting teen; body camera wasn't on, sheriff says", "Deputy who shot Arkansas teen fired for leaving body cam off", "Al Sharpton eulogizes white Arkansas teen shot by deputy", "Arkansas teen killed by deputy leads supporters to propose 'Hunter's Law', "Arkansas deputy sentenced to one year for teen's traffic stop death", "Former deputy found guilty of negligent homicide in Arkansas teen's death", "Former Lonoke County Sheriff's Deputy sentenced for the death of unarmed teen", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Killing_of_Hunter_Brittain&oldid=1128684088, Law enforcement controversies in the United States, People shot dead by law enforcement officers in the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using embedded infobox templates with the title parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Lawsuit filed against Davis by Brittain's family, This page was last edited on 21 December 2022, at 11:51. Say his name, even though hes white. Jeff Phillips, 5th Judicial District prosecutor, was named the special prosecutor for the case July 12. Davis was sentenced to a year on his conviction, which he is appealing. Sharpton said that he hoped that when his day of judgment arrives, when they list the things that I might have done wrong, that Miss Becky might stand up and say he came from a different race and a different time and he stood up for my grandson, like the Good Samaritan., Wrong must be condemned, whoever does it, he said. By subscribing and supporting our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage. Davis radioed dispatch that shots had been fired and requested assistance. He later died at North Little Rock Hospital. As in all the cases I have taken, it isnt just about Black or white; its about whats right and wrong. Davis was fired by Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley a week after the shooting for breaking a policy that requires that the body camera be turned on before deputies interact with the public. Mike Davis near a body shop . . They are generally recruited from among the more backward social elements in keeping the function they perform on behalf of the ruling corporate-financial elite. According to an arrest affidavit, former deputy Michael Davis stopped 17-year-old Hunter Brittain in an auto body shop parking lot around 3 a.m. on June 23, 2021. "Justice for Hunter." The cry would be repeated. No firearms were found in or near the truck. Ukrainian human rights lawyer says country needs Western h King Charles to evict Harry and Meghan from Frogmore Cottage and give to Andrew, 'Elvis' star Austin Butler was rushed to ER after 'body just started shutting down', Drug-resistant stomach bug spreading across US: 'Serious public health alert', Meghan Markle, Prince Harry have first night out since bombshell Spare released, Jordyn Woods supports Selena Gomez amid singers feud with Kylie Jenner, Hailey Bieber, RHONJ recap: Jennifer Aydin mocks Rachel Fudas terrible nose job, Heroic bus driver saves student from passing car, Savannah Guthrie Rushed Out Of Today After Testing Positive For COVID-19 During Live Broadcast, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry have first night out since bombshell 'Spare' released. LONOKE COUNTY, Ark. Police killing of unarmed teen in Cabot, Arkansas, "Hunter Brittain family files lawsuit against former deputy, Lonoke County sheriff", "A Teen Was Having Car Trouble. King said he never heard the officer command Brittain to halt or return inside the truck. Hunter was shot after the deputy stopped him outside an auto repair shop around 3 a.m. June 23 along Arkansas Highway 89 south of Cabot, about 30 miles northeast of Little Rock, according to. Investigators reviewed Daviss body camera footage and determined that he had not activated his camera until after the shot was fired. Shortly after the hearing concluded, Davis was out on bond. Thats when the deputy fired at Brittain, striking him in the neck. Shelby Young Hunter Brittain was shot and killed by a law enforcement officer who failed to activate his body-worn camera during an unnecessary and unconscionable encounter on June 23, 2021. Founded 1974, the Arkansas Times is a lively, opinionated source for news, politics & culture in Arkansas. People will see the same video and draw different conclusions. For Rent. We must break down the social and political blockades that keep us divided and march together and raise our voices together. Harley Brittain, Hunters uncle, pointed out, This is happening all across the country, and this is happening too close to home for us. Jurors acquitted Michael Davis of the more serious offence of manslaughter while finding him guilty of the misdemeanour charge in the death of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain during a June 23 traffic stop outside Cabot, a city of about 26,000 people roughly 48 kilometres northeast of Little Rock. His county-issued firearm unlock premium content, ad-free browsing, and we demand justice now for Hunter his! Hands, nor what was in his hand prior to discharging his county-issued firearm lot of,... [ 3 ], the Arkansas Times is a lively, opinionated source for,... Davis pulled 17-year-old Hunter Brittain he never heard the officer hold a belief... 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