The biggest thing about his testimony was that he said he never heard Davis give any verbal cues until after Brittain was shot. Michael Davis to spend a year in jail but acquitted of manslaughter over death of Hunter Brittain, 17, during June traffic stop. 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. 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. Former Arkansas deputy Michael Davis was found guilty of negligent homicide in the shooting death of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain. It wont require a recusal, Abdul-Bey said. I never touched it, Graham said when asked about the file. 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. Are people gonna have to fear for their life again? It will be automatic. Abdul-Bey said prosecutors involvement in police-shooting cases has faced increased scrutiny since Little Rock resident Bradley Black-shire was fatally shot by officer Charles Starks on Feb. 22, 2019. But even after the verdict, the Brittain family said this isn't the end of them telling Hunter's story. who was shot and killed by a white Lonoke County sheriffs deputy. Former Arkansas deputy Michael Davis was found guilty of negligent homicide in the shooting death of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain. State Police say Hunter Britain, 17 was shot and killed by Sergeant Michael Davis. Davis,. 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. In their closing arguments, the defense highlighted Davis' character and how he became a police officer to help people, not hurt people. 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. 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. Multiple Brittain family members rushed from the room as graphic images of the 17-year-old played out on a screen. Rev. Michael Davis of the Lonoke County sheriff's office are shown in this undated combination of courtesy photos. Lonoke County Prosecutor Chuck Graham said he had received the Arkansas State Police case file on the deadly shooting of the teen during a June 23 traffic stop. What were the ramification to the LEO that decided to break their oath?? 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. Due to that failure, I have terminated the employment of this deputy, the sheriff said in a video statement on Facebook. Davis is white. Brttain went to the bed to get something(transmission fluid / anti-freeze) for the truck. the officer fired 1 shot killing the teen. The car, which had transmission issues, began smoking and was pulled over by Davis as it neared the repair shop. 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. "I was not happy. 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 told the state police when he was interviewed by them that he shot one time and why. 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.. Davis said all of these things were the reason he felt afraid for his life and thought Brittain "was going to kill him.". Lonoke County Prosecutor Chuck Graham said he had received the Arkansas State Police case file on the deadly shooting of the teen during a June 23 . Special prosecutors, who dont have connections to the police agency, are then appointed by the Arkansas prosecutor coordinator, Bob McMahan. People protesting the killing of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain doing burnouts in the parking lot of the Lonoke County sheriff's office. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. The two were test-driving the vehicle about 3 a.m when Davis pulled them over. Davis was fired by the Lonoke county sheriff, John Staley, for not turning on his body camera until after shooting Brittain. 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. 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. His press conference on Friday was brief and he refused to take questions. Davis said he shot Brittain once, after the teen exited his truck and. Investigators found no firearms in or near the truck. All rights reserved. During the early morning hours of June 23, Davis spotted Brittain driving a vehicle that was smoking heavily and an engine that was knocking, Newcomb said Wednesday. Rice's camera moves at about 19 minutes into his video, and Brittain is no longer on the ground. 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. The memorial included calls to pass federal legislation in Floyds name to overhaul police practices. 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. A cop shot and killed Hunter Brittain as the 17-year-old was trying to grab an antifreeze jug from his car. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Metthe). He would have faced between three and 10 years in prison for manslaughter, a felony. Moving forward, both Brittain's family and Michael Davis will be involved in separate civil lawsuits against the Lonoke County Sheriff's Office. Scott Hundley said this is the beginning of what's going to be a long week for those close to Brittain. She said that is easier for larger prosecuting offices to implement. That's what this jury says, that's a strong finding," he said. Details about when the camera was activated and what footage was captured arent publicly known because Freedom of Information Act requests for the footage have been denied. The only one who has been accurate on that is Sgt. We'll never have Hunter standing with us again.". The civil-rights attorneys also represented the family of George Floyd, who died in 2020 while in police custody in Minneapolis. Brittain was up late working on the vehicles transmission before taking the test drive, family members have said. 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. The only ones are at the very top and that's so the jury will not be able to hear anything going on outside. Brittains shooting by a Lonoke County sheriffs deputy has drawn the attention of civil rights activists nationally. I dont want to jeopardize this case, its too important, he said. It soon shows Davis telling another deputy, Nathaniel Rice, "The guy jumped out of the f****** truck and grabbed something out of the back, and it was a f****** oil can. 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. Brittains family retained Ben Crump and Devin Jacob just days after the shooting. 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. Crump and Jacob have been involved in high-profile homicide cases that include those of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin and Ahmaud Arbery. Davis pulled over Hunter Brittain, 17, on June 23, 2021, outside Cabot, a small town 30 miles north of Little Rock. 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 said Davis missed one of the three steps needed to activate the camera. They added that cops are taught "hands kill" and if you can't see the persons hands, it could be a problem. Larger agencies might not have the day-to-day contact with individual investigators, which you find in a small prosecutors office, Golden said. They argued that the shooting shows how police violence affects all people and called for reform. I just said that he was a good guy that made a really horrible decision and choice and so that makes it even worse," Prosecuting attorney, Jeff Phillips said. Family members said Brittain was grabbing a container that held antifreeze to place behind the trucks wheel, to stop it rolling backward. The civil rights leader and the high-profile attorney, who Sharpton has dubbed "Black America's Attorney general," deemed the police shooting of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain "one of the most. But it turned out to just be a jug of antifreeze. Crump previously released a statement that Brittain was shot three times by Lonoke County sheriffs Sgt. Authorities have released few details about the shooting. He's still driving on his way to the scene. Newcomb has said Brittain was pulled over by Davis because his vehicle was smoking heavily and an engine was knocking. The jury was asked a series of questions related to law enforcement and their opinions. Were going to take this and see what else [the special prosecutor in the case] has got to say and hopefully this will stick. 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.. Press J to jump to the feed. Mike Davis plead not guilty to felony manslaughter in the death of Hunter Brittain. On July 1, hours after Graham told the Democrat-Gazette that he planned to recuse himself, someone with the state police texted, Time for a call? Graham responded, Yes sir, anytime. Last week, Graham said it took time to figure out if he was going to recuse from the case. The maximum jail term faced by Davis, a former sergeant with the Lonoke county sheriffs office, was one year. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Committee, Families file 100+ complaints against cemetery in, Farmers share their voices at the AR State Capitol, House Education Committee advances Arkansas LEARNS, Embattled UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigns, Zelensky: There will be two Victory Days in Ukraine. 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. Once we have the autopsy report, we will know more.. [2] Killing [ edit] The next day, the Arkansas State Police passed the investigation file to Grahams office. 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. Brittain was eulogized last year by the civil rights leader the Rev Al Sharpton, who said the death highlighted the need for interracial support for changes in policing. 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. On Sept. 20, Davis was released on a $15,000 bond. During the trial, King told the jury that Brittain had been working on replacing his transmission all night. In shooting case, office failed to quickly cut police contact, Family and friends of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain, including his uncle, Harley Brittain (left), hold a rally outside the Lonoke County sheriff's office in Lonoke in this June 23, 2021, file photo. Davis was originally charged with felony manslaughter Sept. 17. An ambulance arrives on the scene at 14 minutes after "shots fired" went across the radio. Example video title will go here for this video. You tend to know almost all the officers, it doesnt mean you recuse on everything. Graham refused to comment further on the communications when asked by the Democrat-Gazette on Wednesday. The killing in the predominantly white community has drawn the attention of national civil rights activists . The video starts with Davis saying, "Shots fired, shots fired," across his radio. He was sentenced to one year of probation and 300 hours of community service. 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. 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." Closing arguments lasted a little over an hour. One bullet can go through and cause injury in more than one location, Newcomb said. 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