This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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 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. How much help are American volunteers in Ukraine? When asked what that might include, he said, Not much for the state police. What has been the reaction to the shooting? The Lonoke County prosecutors office had contact with the Arkansas State Police before and after recusing itself because of an unavoidable conflict in the investigation into the fatal shooting June 23 of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain by a sheriffs deputy. His attorney, Newcomb, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Crump questioned Grahams involvement in the case in response to inquiries Wednesday by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The jury was asked a series of questions related to law enforcement and their opinions. Special prosecutors, who dont have connections to the police agency, are then appointed by the Arkansas prosecutor coordinator, Bob McMahan. Attorney Ben Crump and Jacob were retained by Brittains family in the days after the shooting as the case received national attention. 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. 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. Both were lawyers in George Floyd's murder case. The teen was having trouble shifting the truck into park, according to a friend in the car at the time, so Mr Brittain jumped out of the car to retrieve a jug in the trucks bed he used as a backstop for the ageing vehicle. Hunter's Uncle, Jesse Brittain, said all they wanted was acknowledgment and an apology. According to the Lonoke County Sheriffs Office, Sergeant Michael Davis initiated the traffic stop at 3 a.m. on June 23. Former Arkansas deputy Michael Davis was found guilty of negligent homicide in the shooting death of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain. The family of Brittain has hired Devon Jacob and Benjamin Crump to represent them in the case. They didnt say one word that I know of, he told KATV. Its about right and wrong.. At about seven minutes into the video, another deputy arrives and says, "Why don't we just chill and stop talking now?". 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. The county has not decided whether to grant the hearing, County Attorney Allen Dodson said Wednesday. Sharpton eulogized 17-year-old Hunter Brittain, who was shot and killed by a white Lonoke County sheriff's deputy, Sgt. On June 23, Hunter's life was cut short when a Lonoke County sheriff's deputy fatally shot him during a traffic stop. You know, he'll go back to force," she said. 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. Brittain was up late working on the vehicles transmission before taking the test drive, family members have said. Brittain's family said he was working on his truck right before he drove it down the road and was pulled over by Davis. The vehicle was smoking and making loud noises, Davis and King have said. 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. He would have faced between three and 10 years in prison for manslaughter, a felony. What happened to the officer who shot Hunter Brittain? Phillips received the investigative file on July 15, according to an email from the prosecutor coordinating office. The issue of policing is not about Black and white, Sharpton told a packed auditorium at Beebe High School, where Brittain was a rising senior. In their closing arguments, the defense highlighted Davis' character and how he became a police officer to help people, not hurt people. Jesse Brittain, Hunters uncle, received a standing ovation when he called for an end to qualified immunity for police officers, a legal doctrine that frequently shields them from civil lawsuits for things they do in the course of their job. On 1 July, the the sheriffs office announced it had fired sergeant Davis for failing to comply with the agencys body camera policy. Davis has been with the Sheriff's Office since 2013. Rice's camera moves at about 19 minutes into his video, and Brittain is no longer on the ground. Chuck. Text messages sent later that day and on June 28 were redacted by the state police agency. "We're glad that we're finally at this point. He said he should refrain from talking about the case because special prosecutor Jeff Phillips, prosecuting attorney for the 5th Judicial District, was named July 12. 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.. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. Davis told investigators he shot Brittain once in the neck after the teen exited his truck and reached into the bed of the pickup while failing to comply with commands to show his hands, according to the arrest affidavit. That's what this jury says, that's a strong finding," he said. Unfortunately no one was ever trained on what the "if possible" meant. Im his grandmother. Its time they start letting us know something., Community members also rallied behind the Brittain family, demanding Justice for Hunter.. During the trial, King told the jury that Brittain had been working on replacing his transmission all night. I dont want to jeopardize this case, its too important, he said. 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. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. The civil rights attorneys, who represented George Floyds family after Minneapolis police killed him in May 2020, said: Hunter deserved better. Neither Brittains nor Davis attorneys are supportive of Grahams decision to withhold body-camera footage. Every state, every locality, is different, Marque Heydari said. Once it happened to my sons best friend, I said it could happen to my son so it was too close to home to not do anything about it., Dozens of people gathered outside the sheriffs office after the memorial service for a rally with Brittains family, attorneys and the NAACP. BEEBE, Ark. Some of Brittains family members have said a witness to the shooting claims Davis didnt offer verbal commands before the shooting. If convicted of manslaughter, Davis could be sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in prison. Robert Newcomb, Davis' defense attorney, has said Davis believed that he had turned the camera on and didn't realize it wasn't working until after firing the shot that killed Brittain. But the passenger in the truck heard no verbal communication, only 1 shot. Newcomb has said Brittain was pulled over by Davis because his vehicle was smoking heavily and an engine was knocking. When buying cowboy boots, there are a few aspects to consider, such as how far up they go on your legs and their design. Al Sharpton, left, and attorney Benjamin Crump, right, escort Rebecca Payne to view her grandson's casket during the funeral service for 17-year-old Hunter Brittain, on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, at the Beebe High Schools Auditorium in Beebe, Ark. At times, prosecutors will recuse themselves and request a special prosecutor for cases involving law enforcement officers because of the relationship between the two bodies. 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. Attorney Ben Crump and Jacob were retained by Brittains family in the days after the shooting as the case received national attention. The video starts with Davis saying, "Shots fired, shots fired," across his radio. Davis said all of these things were the reason he felt afraid for his life and thought Brittain "was going to kill him.". On July 1, a little more than a week after the shooting, Chuck Graham, prosecuting attorney for the 23rd Judicial District, told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that he planned to file a motion for the assignment of a special prosecutor. Authorities have released few details about the shooting. One bullet can go through and cause injury in more than one location, Newcomb said. Both are representing Brittains family. 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. We hope that the jury can see the things that we see," she said. 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. Michael Davis after Brittain exited his truck to put a blue plastic bottle of antifreeze behind a wheel because the vehicle wouldnt shift into park. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. 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. Crump and Jacob also represented the family of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who died May 25, 2020, while in police custody in Minneapolis. 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. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Davis, who was originally charged with felony manslaughter, fatally shot Brittain who was test-driving his truck after working on it all night. Attorneys Ben Crump and Devon Jacob, representing Brittains family, criticized the sheriff for not firing Davis over the shooting itself. This is the ideal, Marque Heydari said. Davis testified that he thought the teen was grabbing for a gun. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Metthe). Because he is not here, we all have to unite together and make sure people all over America know that we will get justice for Hunter Brittain, Crump 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. 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. King responds that the truck wouldn't shift into park. 27 June 2021 Protesters gathered outside the Lonoke County Sheriff's Office last Wednesday in Lonoke, Arkansas, consisting of friends and family of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain, who was gunned. Devon Jacob, Brittains familys attorney, described the report as unclear. "[It's] going to cost him $15,000 to go home and be with his family, while we're at a loss. 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. Early in the morning of 23 June, Hunter Brittain was hard at work fixing his truck so it would be ready in time to make his construction job at 6am. I was working from home. Davis mentioned Brittain's 'loud' and 'smoking' truck, along with their interaction happening 3 a.m. 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 Lonoke County sheriff's deputy opened fire on Hunter Britain, 17, after he. Arkansas State Police investigated Davis use of deadly force and turned over its findings to Fifth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Phillips, who was named special prosecutor for the case July 12. Five minutes into Rice's video, someone notes that Brittain is still breathing. At that point, that was within a couple days of the event.. The sheriff said he respected the jurys decision. They have also pushed for state laws that would require officers to have their body cameras on their entire shift. 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." The witness said that Davis was in compliance with his training. A passenger and another witness testified they never heard Davis tell the teen to show his hands. 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. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. While the verdict isn't something they agree with, the Brittain family said they do accept it. Michael Davis to spend a year in jail but acquitted of manslaughter over death of Hunter Brittain, 17, during June traffic stop. King, 16 at the time, said the teens had previously used a coolant container to stop the truck from rolling back. Floyd died in May last year when a white Minneapolis police officer used his knee to pin the handcuffed Black mans neck to the ground. The civil-rights attorneys also represented the family of George Floyd, who died in 2020 while in police custody in Minneapolis. Davis turned himself inon Friday, Sept. 17, after the special prosecuting attorney issued an arrest warrant for manslaughter. All rights reserved. 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. Hunter Brittain (left) and then-Sgt. Brittain was test-driving a pickup truck with his cousin that the two spent the night tinkering on at a local repair shop. attracted the attention of Black civil rights leaders. "It's going to be hard, it's been hard, it's been hard since June," he said. Mike Davis plead not guilty to felony manslaughter in the death of Hunter Brittain. 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. Rice's video also starts right before "shots fired" transmits across his radio. The teen didnt respond to verbal commands given by the deputy, Necomb said. 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. 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. He said Davis gave verbal commands directing Brittain stay in the vehicle. Davis said he gave commands to Brittain to show his hands that were ignored. 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. According to a statement previously released by the Brittain familys attorney, the teen exited his truck to place a blue plastic bottle of antifreeze behind a wheel because the vehicle wouldnt shift into park. "Although Mr. Davis no longer works for my office, Ive been following this case closely. Once he gets back? The sentence has resulted in mixed emotions from many parties involved, that all had comments after the verdict. 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