The Arkansas State Crime Laboratory cant publicly release the autopsy report because of Arkansas Code 1212-312, Director Kermit Channell said. Who is Hunter Brittain, the 17-year-old killed by Arkansas police? The two conflicting narratives were hampered by the fact that Davis body camera was never turned on during the quick encounter. Call if you have any questions. Graham sent a text the next day to an unknown person in the police agency saying, Ive got you in my phone, call me anytime. Jordan King, a friend of Brittains in the truck at the time, said he didnt hear any commands to stop. Graham said hes sent the file to the state prosecutor coordinator since hes requested a special prosecutor to handle the case. We hope that the jury can see the things that we see," she said. Michael Davis took the stand as the defense's last witness. When Brittain was shot, Davis said that's when he saw a container in Brittain's hands that fell to the ground. On June 23, 2021, 17-year-old Hunter Brittain was test driving his truck after making repairs early in the morning when he was pulled over by former Lonoke County Sgt. 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. The only one who has been accurate on that is Sgt. Arkansas State Police are investigating Brittains death. He wont be an officer no more and he cant kill no more kids.. 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. Graham filed the motion for a special prosecutor on July 8, a week after a conversation with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The two government bodies work separately but lean on each other to take criminal cases to fruition. Every state, every locality, is different, Marque Heydari said. I never thought anything like this would happen until it hit so close to home, said Scott Hendrickson, whose son was close friends with Brittain and who is . Ben Crump, who represented Brittains family said: Hunter deserved better.. Famed attorney Ben Crump named one of TIME's100 Most Influential People, Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in. "It was cold-blooded murder by the Lonoke police. In Arkansas, law enforcement agencies typically investigate cases while prosecutors make the decision on whether criminal charges will be filed. Crump, in a statement, said the charges were the first step in the pursuit of justice for Brittain, adding that his shooting was the latest example of law enforcement shooting first and asking questions later.. He also got emotional multiple times during his testimony. The state police released a majority of the investigative file Friday. Are people gonna have to fear for their life again? 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. A medical examiner from the Arkansas State Crime lab that confirmed Brittain was shot in the neck, was also called to the stand on Wednesday. Once we have the autopsy report, we will know more.. I didn't say he was a mean guy. When asked what that might include, he said, Not much for the state police. [DOCUMENT: Coroners report for Noah Hunter Brittain arkansasonline.com/coronerbrittain]. Davis, who was originally charged with felony manslaughter, fatally shot Brittain who was test-driving his truck after working on it all night. Family members said Brittain was grabbing a container that held antifreeze to place behind the trucks wheel, to stop it rolling backward. I dont want to jeopardize this case, its too important, he said. Its about right and wrong.. Video at arkansasonline.com/mdavis/. The biggest thing about his testimony was that he said he never heard Davis give any verbal cues until after Brittain was shot. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, A memorial for Hunter Brittain in Beebe, Arkansas last year. At that point, that was within a couple days of the event.. "I was hoping for a not guilty verdict on both charges. 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. Brittain was shot by a Lonoke County Sheriff's Deputy during a traffic stop on June 23. Even before the memorial service, Brittains friends and family were calling for change at the state level with petitions urging the Legislature to require officers to wear body cameras that would be turned on as soon as their shift begins. Scott Hundley said this is the beginning of what's going to be a long week for those close to Brittain. "Now, what's gonna happen? 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. Hunter Brittain (left) and then-Sgt. 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. Hunter Brittain, the 17-year-old killed by a Lonoke County sheriff's deputy in June, died of gunshot wounds in his neck and arm, according to a coroner's report released Wednesday. 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. Davis said he could not see the 17-year-old's hands before shooting. Wendy Lindsey, Hunters cousin, said in an interview shortly after the announcement on Friday that she was happy at least something was done. But she added that she didnt think the manslaughter charge for Davis was enough. Davis could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison if found guilty. The killing in the predominantly white community has drawn the attention of national civil rights activists . King, 16 at the time, said the teens had previously used a coolant container to stop the truck from rolling back. He also pointed out that Brittain didn't listen to his commands and that he unable to see both of Brittain's hands in the bed of the truck. Sheriff John Staley said that Davis had not turned on his body camera at the start of the traffic stop and only activated the device after the shooting had happened. "We were a bit surprised about this sentencing, and that they were out in about 20 minutes and came back with a maximum sentence," he said. This is the ideal, Marque Heydari said. Special prosecutors, who dont have connections to the police agency, are then appointed by the Arkansas prosecutor coordinator, Bob McMahan. 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. If convicted, he could face three to 10 years in prison. He remains free on bond pending appeal. There were no indications of drug and alcohol use listed on the coroners report. According to the Lonoke County Sheriffs Office, Sergeant Michael Davis initiated the traffic stop at 3 a.m. on June 23. (AP) The Rev. Brittain's family said he was working on his truck right before he drove it down the road and was pulled over by Davis. They always seem to have their body cameras off. Highway Patrol trooper on leave after fatal Morton County shooting. Few details about the shooting have been officially released over the past two months. Davis said he shot Brittain once, after the teen exited his truck and. Devon Jacob, Brittains familys attorney, described the report as unclear. Shortly after the shooting, Davis was fired by the Lonoke County Sheriffs Office for breaking their body-camera policy. About 9:45 into the video, another officer comes up to Davis and says, "Buddy, I'm going to put my gun in your holster.". That's what this jury says, that's a strong finding," he said. He's still driving on his way to the scene. While the verdict isn't something they agree with, the Brittain family said they do accept it. The jury handed down a one-year jail sentence and a $1,000 fine -- the maximum penalty for the charge -- after finding Davis guilty. 1, we dont have situations like this very often, he said. CPR is started almost immediately. BEEBE, Ark. The passenger in Brittains truck said he and the teen had been working on the pickups transmission. He was sentenced to one year of probation and 300 hours of community service. Brittains family claim the teen had been working on his pickup, and that at the time of the shooting he was unarmed, with only a bottle of antifreeze in his hands. Post your articles here so that everyone will have a chance to see our government at work (or showing their lack thereof) taking their own to task! The last witness called in by prosecution was Davis' former boss, Sheriff John Staley, who told the jury that Davis had issues with turning on his body camera in the past. The civil-rights attorneys also represented the family of George Floyd, who died in 2020 while in police custody in Minneapolis. Because he is not here, we all have to unite together and make sure people all over America know that we will get justice for Hunter Brittain, Crump said. We'll never have Hunter standing with us again.". What were the ramification to the LEO that decided to break their oath?? On July 1, over a week after Brittain's death, Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley announced through a Facebook video Thursday that former Sergeant Mike Davis was fired due to policy violations. Rice's video also starts right before "shots fired" transmits across his radio. 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. 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