Well, wonder no more! According to the affidavit, when Brittain pulled over and got out of the car, he started moving to the truck bed as the truck was rolling backward toward Davis' patrol car. After Phillips announcement that a warrant would be issued for Davis arrest on Friday, the courtroom burst into cheers. 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. An Arkansas sheriff's deputy shot and killed a teenager after a traffic stop early Wednesday, officials said. 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. Special prosecutors, who dont have connections to the police agency, are then appointed by the Arkansas prosecutor coordinator, Bob McMahan. 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 charge was brought by special prosecutor Jeff Phillips of the 5th Judicial District after Lonoke County prosecutor Chuck Graham recused himself from the case. 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. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. 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. On Sept. 20, Davis was released on a $15,000 bond. The police officer has a lot more situational awareness of a danger than maybe you or I would be aware of, Newcomb said. The Arkansas State Police on Friday released body camera footage showing the moments after former Lonoke County sheriff's Deputy Michael Davis fatally shot Hunter Brittain during an early morning traffic stop June 23. Davis shot Brittain once while Brittain's hands were still in the truck bed, according to Davis' statement to state police investigators and his testimony while on the stand. Mike Davis plead not guilty to felony manslaughter in the death of Hunter Brittain. Who is Hunter Brittain, the 17-year-old killed by Arkansas police? Brittain turned into a nearby parking lot and jumped out of the backward moving vehicle and reached into the back of the truck, he said. Few details about the shooting have been officially released over the past two months. Phillips received the investigative file on July 15, according to an email from the prosecutor coordinating office. Ben Crump, who represented Brittains family said: Hunter deserved better.. A cop shot and killed Hunter Brittain as the 17-year-old was trying to grab an antifreeze jug from his car. I'll say I'm not necessarily surprised by that burden," he said. 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. Ive had him for the last five years of his life, his grandmother Rebecca Payne said after the killing. 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. Sadly there is not really anyone who we can point to here in Arkansas who is a quote and quote expert who can talk on this because it is untreaded territory right now. btw before the traffic stop, the officer turned off his body-cam, then turned it on after the shooting which is against department policy. Rice's video also starts right before "shots fired" transmits across his radio. A jury found former Lonoke County Sgt. Jordan King was the passenger in the truck at the time of the shooting and was placed into custody by Davis and another unnamed deputy. Without all the evidence I cannot make any determination on whether the shooting was proper.. That's what this jury says, that's a strong finding," he said. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. If there is a conflict of interest that exists and you are aware of that conflict of interest and you participate then it certainly would appear to the public that there is a hint of impropriety, Crump said. I cant speak to what different offices practice are. 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 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. Former Arkansas deputy Michael Davis was found guilty of negligent homicide in the shooting death of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain. Moving forward, both Brittain's family and Michael Davis will be involved in separate civil lawsuits against the Lonoke County Sheriff's Office. Davis said mentioned several things that led to him firing his gun. 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. I respect the decision of the jury. As I have said since day one, this was a tragic event and we all need to continue praying for those involved," Staley said. "Although Mr. Davis no longer works for my office, Ive been following this case closely. They should have no interaction with police officers because that can create a sense of bias, Marque Heydari 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. Brittain turned into a lot off the highway and jumped out of the vehicle, which was rolling backward, Newcomb said Wednesday. During his instruction it states that you must tell the subject you are going to shoot them before "if possible." Michael Davis, during a traffic stop June 23 near Cabot, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of Little Rock. It's a case that's gained national attention and one that has greatly impacted the community of Lonoke and across Arkansas. Hunter Brittain, the 17-year-old killed by a Lonoke County sheriffs deputy in June, died of gunshot wounds in his neck and arm, according to a coroners report released Wednesday. Larger agencies might not have the day-to-day contact with individual investigators, which you find in a small prosecutors office, Golden said. His attorney did not respond to a request for comment. Brittain was shot by a Lonoke County Sheriff's Deputy during a traffic stop on June 23. If they make the wrong determination, there is a good chance they will not be reelected, he said. Copyright 2023, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Davis could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison if found guilty. The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. 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. 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. Im not sure we could set a policy at the national level that could cover all circumstances. Prosecutors are held accountable by elections, Golden said. This is the ideal, Marque Heydari said. The document says what it says, Jacob said. All rights reserved. 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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. 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. Newcomb, a Little Rock attorney who often represents police officers, requested a grievance hearing on behalf of Davis from Lonoke County. Crump and Jacob invoked other people killed by police, including Breonna Taylor, a Kentucky woman who was fatally shot during a botched police raid. 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 Sheriffs Office. In their closing arguments, the defense highlighted Davis' character and how he became a police officer to help people, not hurt people. "It was cold-blooded murder by the Lonoke police. The vehicle was smoking and making loud noises, Davis and King have said. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. 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. If convicted of manslaughter, Davis could be sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in prison. He has not responded to numerous emails requesting updates on the investigation, including a message sent Wednesday. Brittain was test-driving a pickup truck with his cousin that the two spent the night tinkering on at a local repair shop. The defense also added and went through every reason why Davis feared for his life and fired the gun. 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