After another pre-trial hearing on March 14, the trial will officially begin on March 15. 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. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC. We acknowledge that is going to be much harder in a smaller office. The institute released a tool kit in 2019 to help prosecutors when addressing officer-involved fatalities. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Hey, ever wounder what happened at the end of that case?? Devon Jacob, Brittains familys attorney, described the report as unclear. He took a life.. 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.. His death sparked nationwide protests over policing and racial inequality. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Davis turned himself inon Friday, Sept. 17, after the special prosecuting attorney issued an arrest warrant for manslaughter. Michael Davis near Cabot, Arkansas, United States. Multiple Brittain family members rushed from the room as graphic images of the 17-year-old played out on a screen. The case attracted attention from national civil rights leaders better known for their work with Black Lives Matter. The report was first requested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on July 8. Newcomb, a Little Rock attorney who often represents police officers, requested a grievance hearing on behalf of Davis from Lonoke County. He is the first law enforcement officer to be convicted by an Arkansas jury for an on-duty shooting in recent history. Davis has been with the Sheriff's Office since 2013. 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. Were ready to find out something. Brittains death has received national attention in the wake of other fatal shootings involving police. (AP) The results of the investigation into a Lonoke County deputys deadly shooting of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain during a traffic stop have been handed over to prosecutors. 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. A video from Rice, who arrived within minutes of the shooting, shows King on the ground in cuffs as Davis yells. 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. But even after the verdict, the Brittain family said this isn't the end of them telling Hunter's story. The family of Brittain has hired Devon Jacob and Benjamin Crump to represent them in the case. I didn't say he was a mean guy. Jurors acquitted Michael Davis of manslaughter while finding him guilty of the misdemeanor charge in the death of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain during a June traffic stop outside Cabot, a city of about 26,000 people roughly 30 miles north-east of Little Rock. Brittain was up late working on the vehicles transmission before taking the test drive, family members have said. That's when the jury was shown what body camera footage there is in this case, which only shows what happened after Brittain was shot. This is something, Jesse Brittain, the boys uncle, told CBS News. Press J to jump to the feed. He took the vehicle for a test drive down Highway 89, outside of the city of Cabot, Arkansas, and was pulled over as the car began to smoke and cause a racket. The issue of policing is not about Black and white, Reverend Al Sharpton said at a eulogy for Mr Brittain. The file includes hundreds of documents, including Davis' employment record, body camera footage from deputies and Cabot police officers who responded, crime scene photos and interviews with witnesses. 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. 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. It was unclear what impact Sharptons and the attorneys calls for action would have in Lonoke County, a rural county of 73,000 people that is 90% white. The document says what it says, Jacob 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. Once he gets back? "It's going to be hard, it's been hard, it's been hard since June," he said. According to an affidavit read by Phillips at a press conference, Brittain was test-driving a pickup truck with his cousin that the two spent the night tinkering on at a local repair shop. Brittain was up late working on the vehicles transmission before taking the test drive, family members have said. Brttain went to the bed to get something(transmission fluid / anti-freeze) for the truck. the officer fired 1 shot killing the teen. Brittain had been fatally shot by a Lonoke County sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop early that morning. But the passenger in the truck heard no verbal communication, only 1 shot. 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. The family of Mr Brittain, who dreamed of being a NASCAR racing driver, was heartbroken over the shooting and called for full transparency from the sheriffs department. 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. 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 Arkansas, law enforcement agencies typically investigate cases while prosecutors make the decision on whether criminal charges will be filed. Al Sharpton gave a eulogy asking for the public to come together to help push for policing reforms. 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. The jurys decision is a declaration that an Arkansas law enforcement officer, in full uniform, unlawfully killed Hunter Brittain, the attorneys said. The only one who has been accurate on that is Sgt. Davis was fired by the Lonoke county sheriff, John Staley, for not turning on his body camera until after shooting Brittain. Davis was fired by Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley a week after the shooting for breaking a department policy that requires deputies body cameras to be turned on before interactions with the public. His press conference on Friday was brief and he refused to take questions. 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. He has not responded to numerous emails requesting updates on the investigation, including a message sent Wednesday. It also attracted the attention of Black civil rights leaders like attorney Benjamin Crump, who is representing Brittains family, and has stood alongside them as theyve called for justice. 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. She said that is easier for larger prosecuting offices to implement. No. 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. He said he never heard any verbal cues from Davis until after the shots were fired. 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. He was my grandson. The Lonoke County sheriff's deputy opened fire on Hunter Britain, 17, after he. The sheriff said he respected the jurys decision. Rev. Davis mentioned Brittain's 'loud' and 'smoking' truck, along with their interaction happening 3 a.m. If convicted, he could face three to 10 years in prison. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. The jury finding Davis guilty of negligent homicide instead of manslaughter, is something that worried Payne, as it means Davis could go back to wearing a badge in the future. When buying cowboy boots, there are a few aspects to consider, such as how far up they go on your legs and their design. Mike Davis near a body shop in Cabot. According to the Lonoke County Sheriffs Office, Sergeant Michael Davis initiated the traffic stop at 3 a.m. on June 23. Davis,. Some of Brittains family members have said a witness to the shooting claims Davis didnt offer verbal commands before the shooting. Weeks later the investigative file was sent to his office, and the state polices denial regarding the release of body-camera footage related to the shooting cited Grahams opinion on the issue. 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.. Michael Davis of the Lonoke County sheriff's office are shown in this undated combination of courtesy photos. Its about right and wrong.. Michael Davis shot and killed 17-year-old Hunter Brittain has been released. It was emotional for witnesses and Brittain's family, many of them had to step out of the courtroom. A key piece to the kit involves prosecutors clearly outlining decisions for the public. Few details about the shooting have been officially released over the past two months. 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. Brittain made his way to the truck bed, where he grabbed a blue coolant jug. Five minutes into Rice's video, someone notes that Brittain is still breathing. The video starts with Davis saying, "Shots fired, shots fired," across his radio. Davis and King have said that Brittain jumped out of the truck as soon as he stopped for Davis. We definitely have been trying to come up with a way, when a citizen dies by law enforcement, for there to be an additional route to investigate that, that doesnt involve any of the agencies that work with the officers, Abdul-Bey said. 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. Newspapers LLC requested a grievance hearing on behalf of Davis from Lonoke County sheriff 's deputy a... 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