Supporting the Arkansas Times' independent journalism is more vital than ever. 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 ". Davis is being charged with manslaughter following the June shooting death of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain. The report from the Pulaski County coroner in Little Rock says that Hunter Brittain, 17, was killed during a predawn June 23 traffic stop when he stepped from his truck and approached the deputy . "On the one end of the pendulum, there are the states that actually make it tough to get body camera videos explicitly," she said. 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. The police officer has a lot more situational awareness of a danger than maybe your or I would be aware of, Newcomb said. Attorneys for the family of an unarmed teenager shot dead during a traffic stop are calling for the resignation of the sheriff after a former deputy was sentenced for the killing. A summary of the affidavit was read by attorney Phillips at the news conference, which established a timeline leading up to the shooting and its aftermath. The family says the teen was pulled over early Wednesday morning for a traffic stop and killed while holding a quart of oil. Did the officer hold a reasonable belief that his safety or the safety of others was at risk? A passenger and another witness said they didnt hear Davis order the teen to show his hands. They are the one who is going to make that determination.". He listed police victims Black, white and Chinese laid at the presidents feet. 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. He added, We dont just come for one race. The case of Hunter Brittain has gained national attention over the past year, with renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump representing the Brittain family. 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. Personal injury attorneys Ben Crump and Devon M. Jacob filed the lawsuit and they issued this statement: Staley is sued both personally and in his individual capacity. The teen didn't respond to oral commands given by the deputy, Newcomb said. Our monthly magazine is free at over 500 locations in Central Arkansas. [The officer] told me get out with my hands up and pull my shirt up and stuff, and then [forced] me to the ground, put me in handcuffs and was dragging me around and stuff. I'm his grandmother. (Andrew Demillo/AP) Breaking News As it happens Get updates on. Comforting grieving families and speaking at funerals for victims of police brutality never gets any easier. "All this being said, the purpose of body-worn cameras is to increase transparency and hold officers accountable when there's misbehavior," Lawrence said. All rights reserved. For Rent. He urged them to say it loudly, so his grandmother with a hearing aid and Brittain in heaven could hear. The legal team also represented the family of George Floyd, the man killed in 2020 at the hands of Minneapolis police whose death became a rallying cry in the Black Lives Matter movement. Mr Brittain was taken to a North Little Rock hospital after the shooting, where he later died. Thats irresponsible, and I wont do it. Unlock premium content, ad-free browsing, and access to comments for just $4/month. Join the fight for truth and become a subscriber of the Arkansas Times. Hunter Brittain. As of Friday, Jacob said neither the family nor the attorneys have been given access to review the footage. Forced, momentarily, to acknowledge the reality that police violence affects people of every race and ethnicity, Sharpton has moved on. SEARCH; For Sale. 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. Our monthly magazine is free at over 500 locations in Central Arkansas. Arkansas law doesn't provide clarity specifically to the release of body camera footage as it pertains to fatal officer-involved incidents. King said that Brittain immediately stepped out of the truck, rushed to the rear of the truck, whereupon King heard a gunshot. Phillips mentioned during the interview, Davis was asked to clarify if he could see Brittains hands or see what was in Brittains hands prior to discharging his county-issued firearm. Thomas Metthe/The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Temple cops widow: Accused killer shouldnt be allowed to breathe, reveals last goodbye, Video captures chaos after cop fatally shoots 13-year-old driving stolen car, Suspect busted in fatal shooting of Temple cop tried to rob dying officer: police, Temple University police officer fatally shot trying to stop carjacking, fired because he hadnt activated his bodycam. "Community members in this day and age expect that footage to come out rather quickly. In June, at 3 a.m. on a dark stretch of a highway in rural Arkansas, 17-year-old Hunter Brittain was shot and killed by a sergeant from the Lonoke County Sheriff's Office. "They didn't say one word that I know of. Lawyers for the family of Hunter Brittain announced today the filing of a federal lawsuit against Lonoke Sheriff John Staley and Michael Davis, the former Lonoke County deputy whos been convicted of negligent homicide for fatally shooting Brittain during a traffic stop last year. 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. Mobile App. Davis shot Brittain after he reached in the back of his truck for a container of antifreeze to chock a wheel so it wouldnt roll into the deputys patrol car. Friends and family of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain gather outside the Pope County Courthouse in Russellville, Arkansas on Friday. 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. 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 . An email from the agency also stated that Graham had opposed release of the footage at that time. We've received your submission. Staley responded to an email from The Post with a prepared statement saying he respected the jurys decision. Michael Davis near Cabot, Arkansas, United States. So far this year, police have killed a total of 371 people, including 122 whites, 71 blacks, 38 Hispanics, 3 listed as other, and 137 unidentified. , where rallies have continued for three nights. Brittain was fatally shot by a deputy during a traffic stop . Scott Hundley, owner of Hundley Construction, said Brittain had worked for him on and off over the past few years. Michael Davis, a Lonoke County sheriff's deputy. Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder in Floyd's death. British Columbia town sets new high temperature for Canada. King mentioned that as they were getting pulled over, they were laughing, finding it comical that the truck was smoking. 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. Were ready to find out something. Jeff Phillips, 5th Judicial District prosecutor, was named the special prosecutor for the case July 12. Ive had him for the last five years of his life. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. 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". 27 June 2021. King said he never heard the officer command Brittain to halt or return inside the truck. The vast majority of those who are brutalized, disappeared or killed by the armed and uniformed enforcers of the capitalist state are from the working class. Originally dubbed "Black . The horrific death of young Hunter Brittain sadly shows us that no one is safe until there is true police reform and accountability. If he [the sheriffs deputy] felt like he was in danger, hes got a taser on his hip. What we know definitively is that an Arkansas sheriff's deputy shot and killed him at 3 a.m. last Wednesday. Crump invoked other police slaying cases hed joined George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Christian Hall and Hunter Brittain. "It goes back to the narrative that law enforcement is a good-old-boy system, and they will do whatever they can to protect their own, and what is needed is transparency," Abdul-Bey said. Cabot, a city of about 26,000 people, is located about 48km northeast of Little Rock. According to Crump, the families wanted to know if Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson supported Hunters Lawa proposed reform which would require law enforcement agencies in the state to provide police officers with body-mounted cameras while also requiring officers to activate their body-mounted cameras from the beginning of their shift to the end. "It really needs to be kept until the prosecutor determines if it is appropriate for release," Golden 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. Parks near 1302 Brittain Rd include Hunter Park, Sweetwater Valley Park, and Clinton Nature Preserve. Many states have considered similar legislation since. IE 11 is not supported. The jury found Michael Davis guilty of the misdemeanor charge, but not guilty of manslaughter. 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