One protester spray-painted the words Justice for Hunter on the building. Why have Ben Crump and Al Sharpton taken up the case of Hunter Brittain? We must break down the social and political blockades that keep us divided and march together and raise our voices together. Saved Searches . Lets all wait until the facts are confirmed.. On Thursday, protesters in pick-up trucks did burnouts in the parking lot of the sheriffs office. I didnt hear it and it happened so fast., King explained that a second police officer arrived at the scene and detained him. Steinbuch is in support of a law that would provide more guidance on body camera footage specifically. TV station KATV reported family members say Mr Brittain was working on his truck about 3am and was heading to his construction job for 6am. Redfin Premier. Few states exempt police body camera footage from public records requests, but the majority have passed varying exemptions around the disclosure, such as who is allowed to see the video and in what time frame it must be released. His sister sent me these photos. Lonoke County circuit court judge on Monday chose Jeff Phillips to handle the case of the death of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain by Sgt. "I can argue otherwise. The teenager then fell to the ground face down. 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 . Privacy is a concern in some cases, depending on where the video is shot and who is in it. I'm his grandmother. It's time they start letting us know something.". His story. It's almost a week later, and Brittain's family still has no straight answers from the Lonoke County sheriff's office. [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. @KATVNews #arnews pic.twitter.com/XNMb5YWP1q Mills Hayes (@KATVMillsHayes) June 23, 2021 King noticed that a patrol vehicle began to follow them, whereupon the deputy pulled them over just before the Mahoneys body shop driveway. 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. Hunter Brittain was 17 years old when he died. "Transparency will be able to reveal the truth to the public who is outraged that this unarmed child was killed by somebody who was supposed to protect and defend them.". - cops story, seems a bit different from reality. Jurors acquitted Michael Davis of the more serious offence of manslaughter while finding him guilty of the misdemeanour charge in the death of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain during a June 23 traffic stop outside Cabot, a city of about 26,000 people roughly 48 kilometres northeast of Little Rock. For Rent. On June 23, Hunters life was cut short when a Lonoke County sheriffs deputy fatally shot him during a traffic stop. He said that when he saw the lifeless body of his friend lying face down on the ground, it did not appear real to him. Help us deliver the latest daily reporting and analysis on news, politics, culture and food in Arkansas. "We're ready to find out something. AND SECTION 12-8-595, ALL RELATING TO THE WITHHOLDING OF INCOME TAXES, SO AS TO UPDATE A REFERENCE TO THE TOP MARGINAL INCOME TAX RATE. The release of body camera footage can help build public trust, he said. This act must pass and become law so there are national standards that protect all of us from bad officers. When police arrived at his home to detain him, body camera footage showed he tried evading the cops in his car, nearly plowing into one of the officers on the scene. Over 40 years in public service, he has held such notable positions as youth director of New York's Operation Breadbasket, director of ministers for the National Rainbow Push coalition and founder of his own broad-based progressive civil rights organization, the National Action Network. Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder in Floyd's death. Justice for Hunter. The cry would be repeated. King mentioned that as they were getting pulled over, they were laughing, finding it comical that the truck was smoking. Davis was sentenced to a year on his conviction, which he is appealing. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. ", Print Headline: Video still withheld after Lonoke County deputys fatal shooting of teen. 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. "That is why we have a prosecutor. He was told by doctors that his nephew had been hiding in the woods and shooting at cops. The 17-year-old was shot and killed after a Lonoke County Sheriff's Office deputy stopped him around 3 AM. All of us want to see our children come home at night safe and protected., He said there might be a message in the anti-freeze bottle. [7], Brittains family and friends have proposed Hunters Law. It turned out Brown had an arrest warrant for dealing cocaine and fentanyl-laced heroin. It was at the hospital that Brittain succumbed to his injuries. Lawrence said it could be helpful for states to have laws on the release of police footage. It's a nuanced issue, said Daniel Lawrence, research scientist with the nonprofit CNA Corporation's Center for Justice Research and Innovation. As a reader of the Arkansas Times, you know were dedicated to bringing you tough, determined, and feisty journalism that holds the powerful accountable. The attorneys also represented the family of George Floyd, 46, who died in 2020 while in police custody in Minneapolis. Jacob echoed that most jurisdictions in the nation would make such information available, and that it is important that government bodies disclose the truth to the public. "All this being said, the purpose of body-worn cameras is to increase transparency and hold officers accountable when there's misbehavior," Lawrence said. The police cannot be reformed within the framework of capitalism. READ MORE: Florida apartment collapse survivors could still be inside building Hunter Brittain funeral includes loud (and biracial) calls for justice and police Lonoke death joins national discussion on police tactics, To-Do List: The Reps Marie and Rosetta, Mary Gauthier, Argenta Plaza Summer Series, Raya and the Last Dragon on the riverfront. It also enables footage to be redacted if it depicts a person's death, unless it was caused by police. 1 Of those 6565 . Killing of Hunter Brittain Read Edit View history At approximately 3:00 am ( CDT) on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, 17-year-old Hunter Brittain, who was unarmed, was shot by Lonoke County sheriff's deputy Sgt. There are instances in Arkansas of officer-involved fatal shooting video being released before the prosecutor's decision. UPDATE: Brian Chilson provides a sour note on what was an uplifting funeral, devoid of calls for anything but justice, unity of races and professional policing. Places. Updated: 1:05 PM CDT April 5, 2022. Is the system broken, or what can be done to improve? An Arkansas-Democrat Gazette Freedom of Information request to state police was denied on the grounds that the case was still under investigation. 8 groceries, 35 restaurants, 5 parks. He stated that the investigation file, which originally was delivered to him, had been passed to the Arkansas Prosecutor Coordinating Office. He arrived to assist Davis after the stop was made. The issue about policing is not about black and white, its about right and wrong.. Referred to Committee on . "On the one end of the pendulum, there are the states that actually make it tough to get body camera videos explicitly," she said. [8], Davis was found guilty at trial in March 2022 of negligent homicide, but not guilty of manslaughter and was sentenced to 1 year in jail plus a $1,000 fine. Davis radioed dispatch that shots had been fired and requested assistance. GoFundMe Robert Newcomb, Davis' attorney, said he plans to challenge the conviction. After placing King in custody, Davis and the deputy cleared Brittains truck. No firearms were found in or near the truck. Together, we can continue to hold the powerful accountable and bring important stories to light. At approximately 3:00 am (CDT) on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, 17-year-old Hunter Brittain, who was unarmed, was shot by Lonoke County sheriff's deputy Sgt. after a sheriff's deputy shot and killed a 17-year-old man during a traffic stop who was trying to fix his car. Jurors found Michael Davis, a former sergeant with the Lonoke County sheriff's office, guilty in the shooting death last year of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain during a traffic stop outside Cabot,. "As the old saying goes, trust but verify," Jacob said. Devon Jacob, whos been a lawyer for George Floyds family, said racism is sometimes an element in police shootings. 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. 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. Parks near 1302 Brittain Rd include Hunter Park, Sweetwater Valley Park, and Clinton Nature Preserve. I have demanded justice for countless other victims of police brutality, and we demand justice now for Hunter and his family. Help us deliver the latest daily reporting and analysis on news, politics, culture and food in Arkansas. "What we believe is that transparency is the most important thing in this tragic killing of this unarmed 17-year-old child," Crump told the Arkansas-Democrat-Gazette. The teen didn't respond to oral commands given by the deputy, Newcomb said. As back-up arrived, the passenger, Jordan King, was detained by a second deputy. Scott Hundley, owner of Hundley Construction, said Brittain had worked for him on and off over the past few years. Newcomb said he does not support the decision to withhold the body camera footage from the legal teams, but there is a valid argument to whether it should be released to the public. 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. Details about when the camera was turned on and what the footage captured are unknown to the public. He said it might be controversial. 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. After Davis fired, Hunter "sustained a gunshot wound and was transported to a North Little Rock hospital, where he later died," the Arkansas State Police said in a short statement last week.. Its at that point that the officer, Michael Davis, shot the 17-year-old three times. Former Lonoke County Deputy Sgt. It is simply unconscionable that this is the reality in the most powerful advanced nation in the world. Hunter Brittain dreamed of a career in professional racing . But we need your help to do even more. Mary Brittain started hunting in Oregon with her husband in 1955, something that would turn into a family tradition carried out for generations to come. Of those deaths 47 were killed by self inflicted wounds and by other cops. 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. 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. According to 16-year-old Jordan King, who was in the vehicle with Brittain, the truck was having gear trouble and would not remain in park, so Brittain exited to place a container behind a tire in order to keep it from backing up into the squad car.