[7] Attorneys Ben Crump and Devon Jacob are representing Brittain's family. Did he charge at the officer? LONOKE COUNTY, Ark. Homepage. From 2017 to the present, according to Statista.com, victims of fatal police shootings in the US total 4379, of whom 1,805 are identified as white, 989 as black, 692 as Hispanic, 150 as other, and 753 as unidentified. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Family of white youth killed by police seeks out attorneys in George Floyd case. Property News:Sunny playground where the growth is only just beginning - domain.com.au, Your web browser is no longer supported. The Lonoke County Sheriff's Office said it has turned the investigation of the shooting over to Arkansas State Police. He is no longer with us in the physical sense, but his spirit is calling us to get out of our frozen place and unite, stand together, march together and fight together for true justice for all. But sometimes it is a failure of training, as with the shooting of Brittain by an officer who didnt turn on his body camera. 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. Recently, I received one such call about a 17-year-old teenager in Arkansas named Hunter Brittain. Founded 1974, the Arkansas Times is a lively, opinionated source for news, politics & culture in Arkansas. 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. Feed. On September 17, attorney Jeff Phillips of the 5th Judicial District, named Special Prosecutor for the case in July, announced during a news conference at the Pope County Courthouse in Russellville, Arkansas that former Lonoke County Sheriffs Deputy Michael Davis had been charged with felony manslaughter in the June 23 traffic stop shooting death of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain. Setting and Participants A total of 173 sedentary, overweight (body mass index . I have demanded justice for countless other victims of police brutality, and we demand justice now for Hunter and his family. Young Hunter was unarmed and holding only a bottle of antifreeze for his car when he was shot three times by a sheriffs deputy. He told Sharpton it was a white young man. Admittedly, all of the facts arent yet known around the circumstances of Brittains death. [3], The body camera of the deputy was turned over to Arkansas State Police. Media attention for Brittains case has declined significantly since Democratic Party identity politics operative Reverend Al Sharpton spoke at Brittains memorial service in July. Brittain was pulled over in the middle of the night last week in Cabot, Arkansas, for reasons that remain unclear. Hundley said he spoke with Hunter at about 7 pm the night before his death. 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. 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. Feed. 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. On June 30, the families of Marquis Martin and Hunter Brittain rallied at the state capital in Little Rock demanding justice be administered for both victims. After the repairs had been made, the two boys drove out of the auto shop, whereupon Sergeant Michael Davis pulled them over on Arkansas 89. 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. ET on weekends on MSNBC. According to King, Brittain slowed down, put his turn signal on, and pulled to the left side of the road. Join now to unlock comments, browse ad-free, and access exclusive content from your favorite FDRLST writers, Eddie Scarry is the D.C. columnist at The Federalist and author of ". A former Arkansas sheriffs deputy has been convicted of negligent homicide and sentenced to a year in jail over the 2021 shooting of a 17-year-old during a traffic stop. If there is a potential for criminal charges, there could be concerns the release of footage could bias a jury or lead to witnesses changing their statements, he said. Referred to Committee on . Mr King said Brittain's truck wouldn't go into park, so he got out to get an oil jug to put behind his vehicle's tyres, to stop it from hitting Sgt Davis' car. 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.. The teen exited his truck to place a blue plastic bottle of antifreeze behind a wheel because the vehicle wouldn't shift into park, according to a previously released statement. 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. Those lives apparently dont matter as much. 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. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staci Vandagriff). When Brittain remarked that we must end qualified immunity, he received a standing ovation and rightfully so. We share so much of the same story with our loved one being taken by the gun and taken without justice. Jesse Brittain, Hunters uncle, also spoke at the rally, saying, Id like to say to the black, white, brown communities around the country that its time we unite and come together.. King was later interviewed by the Arkansas State Police regarding what had occurred. The case of Hunter Brittain has gained national attention over the past year, with renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump representing the Brittain family. As of 2018, at least 23 states and the District of Columbia had passed laws related to the public disclosure of body-worn camera footage, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Hunter Brittain's life mattered just as much as Andrew Brown's. Say his name, even though he's white. [2], Brittain was attempting to use a jug of antifreeze to stop his truck from rolling into the officer's vehicle when the deputy shot him. Case Last Refreshed: 2 weeks ago Track Case Changes Download Docket Print Docket filed a(n) Name Change - Family case in the jurisdiction of Grand Forks County. 1 year in jail is the maximum sentence for negligent homicide in Arkansas.[9][10][11]. An investigation is underway. A seventeen-year-old white boy from McRae, Arkansas, Hunter was a rising senior at Beebe High School. According to Statista.com, the trend of fatal police shootings in the United States seems to only be increasing, with a total 604 civilians having been shot, 108 of whom were Black, in the first six months of 2021. According to MappingPoliceViolence.org, 745 people have been killed by police in the United States this year, of which 251 were white. Davis faces between three and 10 years in prison if convicted. 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. The family said they are still awaiting answers and are seeking accountability for a young man who had his entire life ahead of him. That would be a legitimate argument.". King noticed that a patrol vehicle began to follow them, whereupon the deputy pulled them over just before the Mahoneys body shop driveway. Young people killing others in Little Rock is wrong. It's a nuanced issue, said Daniel Lawrence, research scientist with the nonprofit CNA Corporation's Center for Justice Research and Innovation. The family's legal team, which . Former Lonoke County Deputy Sgt. 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." Hunter Brittain, 17, was killed on June 23 (Picture: KATVNews) A police officer has been suspended after shooting dead a 17-year-old boy during a routine traffic stop in the US state of. His story resembles the tragic deaths of many at the hands of police like Breonna Taylor, Tamir Rice, George Floyd and so many others through the years. The public deserves better. When Pope County Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Phillips, acting as the special prosecutor in this case, announced the charge during . The overwhelming majority of these victims are working class. Harley Brittain, Hunters uncle, pointed out, This is happening all across the country, and this is happening too close to home for us. We've received your submission. He said Brittain turned into a parking lot, jumped out of the backward moving vehicle and reached into the back of the truck. Sharpton previews today's meeting with Biden, civil rights groups. The Arkansas State Police, the investigating agency, and Lonoke County prosecutor Chuck Graham initially denied verbal requests for the body camera footage in the days after the shooting. He urged them to say it loudly, so his grandmother with a hearing aid and Brittain in heaven could hear. People will bring their preconceived notions to interpreting what they see.". He was my grandson, she said. This was the first time I was invited to speak at a service where the victim was white, but as soon as I received the call about Hunters death, I immediately said yes. The bill also bans chokeholds and no-knock warrants, requires the use of bodycams and so much more. Attorney Benjamin Crump (left) holds hands with Rebecca Payne, Hunter Brittains grandmother, as they chant during a rally Friday, July 30, 2021 in front of the State Capitol building in Little Rock. 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. The body camera footage would be available once the case is closed or criminal charges are made, Steinbuch said. 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. Hunter was a 17-year-old kid who had the right to live, had the right to go on to graduate high school and had the right to be protected by law enforcement not shot dead by them. Davis,. Michael Davis near Cabot, Arkansas, United States. 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. Details about when the camera was turned on and what the footage captured are unknown to the public. "I do think it would be useful to have legislation that gives the public easier access to body camera footage," he said. Michael Davis near Cabot, Arkansas, United States. Join the fight for truth and become a subscriber of the Arkansas Times. This is what the family of God looks like, said the preacher. "Community members in this day and age expect that footage to come out rather quickly. Phillips did not respond to a follow-up email sent Thursday by the Democrat-Gazette asking for additional details about why the footage has not been released along with possible timelines of when it could be. As King and Brittain went on a test drive in the truck, they made a right turn onto Highway 89 from Mahoneys body shop, travelling approximately one mile up the road to a church and turned around. One blanket statement won't cover it, Lawrence said. The families of Martin and Brittain were accompanied by attorneys Ben Crump and Devon Jacob. 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. -- Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorneys Ben Crump and Devon Jacob issued the following statement following the firing of Sergeant . That doesnt mean he or any one of these people deserved to die, but at minimum, it dramatically changes the degree to which race was a relevant factor, if a factor at all. 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 . - cops story, seems a bit different from reality. It's even more aggravated when it's partial video. The release of body camera footage can help build public trust, he said. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. "They didn't say one word that I know of. 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