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. It's time they start letting us know something.". Protesters gathered outside the Lonoke County Sheriffs Office last Wednesday in Lonoke, Arkansas, consisting of friends and family of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain, who was gunned down by police during a traffic stop early that morning. 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. 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. - cops story, seems a bit different from reality. "Community members in this day and age expect that footage to come out rather quickly. A Freedom of Information request for the footage was sent to Phillips on July 14. [3], The body camera of the deputy was turned over to Arkansas State Police. Lawrence said it could be helpful for states to have laws on the release of police footage. 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. People will bring their preconceived notions to interpreting what they see.". Deaths of white people as a result of police violence, such as Brittain, are largely swept under the rug because they cut across the racialist narrative promoted by the Democratic Party and the pseudo-left. 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,. 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. Referred to Committee on . The prosecutor released his opinion that the shooting was justified June 25 and released the video upon receiving a Freedom of Information request sent afterward. Young people killing others in Little Rock is wrong. In the early morning hours of Wednesday, June 23, Davis initiated a traffic stop after seeing a white GMC pick-up truck smoking, whereupon Brittain immediately exited his vehicle, moved to the rear of his vehicle, as it was rolling backwards towards the front of Daviss patrol vehicle, to reach into the bed of the truck to retrieve a bright blue anti-freeze container. "This case is still under investigation and part of the case is the information you are requesting," Phillips said in an email. He received the investigative file July 15, according to an email from the Arkansas Prosecutor Coordinating Office. Family of white youth killed by police seeks out attorneys in George Floyd case. Is the system broken, or what can be done to improve? They are the one who is going to make that determination.". Robert Newcomb, Davis attorney, said he plans to challenge the conviction. Family and friends of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain are demanding justice at the Lonoke Sheriffs Department. There are instances in Arkansas of officer-involved fatal shooting video being released before the prosecutor's decision. The law would require all Arkansas police officers to wear a body camera which would be kept turned on during their shift. Jeff Phillips, special prosecutor for the case, most recently denied a Freedom of Information Act request for the footage on July 19. Hunter Brittain should have been celebrating this Fourth of July weekend. According to King, Brittain slowed down, put his turn signal on, and pulled to the left side of the road. IE 11 is not supported. I have demanded justice for countless other victims of police brutality, and we demand justice now for Hunter and his family. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has profoundly affected the US healthcare system. Florida apartment collapse survivors could still be inside building. 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. State police say the circumstances of the traffic stop and what led to the deputy to fire his gun at Hunter Brittain "will be documented in the investigation." Staley responded to an email from The Post with a prepared statement saying he respected the jurys decision. Places. "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.". Immediately after Andrew Brown was killed earlier this year, the media were hyping up his case as proof of their complete myth that cops are targeting innocent black people. 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 . The suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages and, if successful, the county is the likeliest source of money to satisfy a judgment. -- Reps. M. M. Smith, Erickson, Cobb-Hunter, Pedalino, Lawson, Sessions, Bamberg, Hiott, Carter, Pope, Felder, Guffey . Protesters gathered outside the Lonoke County Sheriff's Office last Wednesday in Lonoke, Arkansas, consisting of friends and family of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain, who was gunned . The jury found Michael Davis guilty of the misdemeanor charge, but not guilty of manslaughter. King explained that the second police officer that arrived at the scene detained him: [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. He was my grandson, she said. Its not that this isnt a shocking and tragic story, but there has been a complete national media blackout on the incident because, unfortunately for Brittains family, theyre all white. All rights reserved. According to an arrest affidavit, former deputy Michael Davis stopped 17-year-old Hunter Brittain in an auto body shop parking lot around 3 a.m. on June 23, 2021. We are checking for the latest updates in this case. Supporting the Arkansas Times' independent journalism is more vital than ever. The teenager and a friend had apparently been working on the pickup trucks transmission and giving it a test spin at the time of the shooting. [2] Brittain's family claimed he was test driving a truck, which he had been working on when he was pulled over by the deputy. One protester spray-painted the words Justice for Hunter on the building. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. He arrived to assist Davis after the stop was made. 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. A toolkit released in 2019 by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City recommends that prosecutors be as transparent as possible about the process. 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. The prosecuting attorney in that case, Larry Jegley, released his decision not to file criminal charges April 19. Al Sharpton. As of 2018, at least 23 states and the District of Columbia had passed laws related to the public disclosure of body-worn camera footage, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. A memorial service was held Tuesday for Hunter Brittain one week after the officer who fatally shot the Arkansas teen was fired from his post for failing to activate his body-worn camera,. Hunter Brittain, 17, was killed by Davis on June 23, 2021. That the world needs to melt frozen hearts that separate us. Maybe, said, Hunter Brittain is calling for some anti-freeze. He closed, to cheering, Its anti-freeze time.. The body camera footage would be available once the case is closed or criminal charges are made, Steinbuch said. Those lives apparently dont matter as much. Family say he was unarmed and are demanding justice. Join the fight for truth and become a subscriber of the Arkansas Times. . He previously told the Arkansas-Democrat Gazette on July 1 that the footage would likely be released by the special prosecutor once a prosecutor was appointed. "It can be done in a way that it protects the evidence and protects the officer and the family.". Davis pulled over Hunter Brittain, 17, on June 23, 2021, outside Cabot, a small town 30 miles north of Little Rock. Case Last Refreshed: 2 weeks ago Track Case Changes Download Docket Print Docket filed a(n) Name Change - Family case in the jurisdiction of Grand Forks County. 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. 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. According to members of Brittains family, he was working on his truck at around 3 am local time, trying to repair it so that he could make it to his job at Hundley Construction by 6 am. Noah "Hunter" Brittain, a white teen, was shot and killed by a sheriff's deputy outside a local auto repair shop in McRae, Arkansas. 1 year in jail is the maximum sentence for negligent homicide in Arkansas.[9][10][11]. 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. 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. Davis, 31, was charged with felony manslaughter after the . As in all the cases I have taken, it isnt just about Black or white; its about whats right and wrong. The white teen's. Mr Brittain was taken to a North Little Rock hospital after the shooting, where he later died. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Davis was sentenced to a year on his conviction, which he is appealing. 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. Hunter Brittain, on left (Twitter) A Lonoke County, Arkansas, deputy who shot and killed an unarmed teen during an early morning traffic stop in June has been fired for not recording the. He says hes been working on this truck but hes trying to make it., Brittains grandmother, Rebecca Payne, was present at the protest. [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. Noted civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Devin Jacob were retained by Brittain's family in the days after the shooting as the case drew national attention. Like so many. "It really needs to be kept until the prosecutor determines if it is appropriate for release," Golden said. The civil rights leader and the high-profile attorney, who Sharpton has dubbed "Black America's Attorney general," deemed the police shooting of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain "one of the most. He turned, too, to the Bible, with the parable of the Good Samaritan. 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. Parks near 1302 Brittain Rd include Hunter Park, Sweetwater Valley Park, and Clinton Nature Preserve. 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 who's been. For 48 years, we've been fighting the good fight in Little Rock and beyond with your support, we can do even more. He told Sharpton it was a white young man. The issue about policing is not about black and white, its about right and wrong.. For Rent. As King and Brittain went on a test drive in the truck, they made a right turn onto Highway 89 from Mahoneys body shop, travelling approximately one mile up the road to a church and turned around. He said national standards are needed for policing and accountability. Ive had him for the last five years of his life. Thanks for contacting us. A seventeen-year-old white boy from McRae, Arkansas, Hunter was a rising senior at Beebe High School. This law enforcementrelated article is a stub. Michael Davis shot and killed 17 . The police cannot be reformed within the framework of capitalism. The Lonoke County Sheriff's Office said it has turned the investigation of the shooting over to Arkansas State Police. The attorneys and the family have maintained that Brittain was shot three times by Lonoke County sheriff's office Sgt. As Brittain pulled into the parking lot of Mahoneys, both Brittain and King opened their doors to let the smoke out. State police said Mr Brittain was from McRae, a city of about 700 about 24km northeast of Cabot. More than a month after a Lonoke County deputy shot and killed 17-year-old Hunter Brittain, officials have yet to release body camera footage amid a national conversation about police transparency. Michael Davis bond set at $15K Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley confirmed Davis posted bond within an hour and is now out of jail. Sharpton eulogized 17-year-old Hunter Brittain , who was shot and killed by a white Lonoke County sheriff's deputy, Sgt. On July 14, the Arkansas State Police responded to a formal Freedom of Information Act request from the Democrat-Gazette for the footage and said the record is part of an "open and ongoing, undisclosed investigation by law enforcement." The family said they are still awaiting answers and are seeking accountability for a young man who had his entire life ahead of him. However, that is challenging because of the complexity in each event. Name Change Of Hunter Dean Brittain. [emphasis added. 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. In 2020, 27 percent of people killed by police were Black, despite being only 13 percent of the population. The bill also bans chokeholds and no-knock warrants, requires the use of bodycams and so much more. Of those deaths 47 were killed by self inflicted wounds and by other cops. Arkansas Times photographer Brian Chilson provides coverage for the funeral for Hunter Brittain at Beebe High School, where most seats in the auditorium appear to be taken. As I said that day, we may come from different backgrounds and might not agree on politics, but this is bigger than that; all of us want to see our children come home at night safe and protected. ", Print Headline: Video still withheld after Lonoke County deputys fatal shooting of teen. Mike Davis near a body shop . 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. "I do think it would be useful to have legislation that gives the public easier access to body camera footage," he said. 9 groceries, 40 restaurants . Tennessee's 2017 law provides that law enforcement body-camera videos of specifically named situations be treated as confidential, such as videos taken of minors at school. 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. This tragedy has gone unreported in the New York Times, the principal media voice of the Democratic Party, Jacobin magazine, which is linked to the Democratic Socialists of America, and Liberation News, the online newspaper of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. His uncle, Jesse Brittain, said the family wouldn't stop advocating until there was justice for Hunter and he also invoked "unjust killings". 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. Admittedly, all of the facts arent yet known around the circumstances of Brittains death. Brittains family members told the Associated Press they had wanted Davis convicted of a felony because it would have meant he couldnt work in law enforcement again. Some self-styled militia took it upon themselves to post a guard outside the Lonoke sheriffs office. On September 17, attorney Jeff Phillips of the 5th Judicial District, named Special Prosecutor for the case in July, announced during a news conference at the Pope County Courthouse in Russellville, Arkansas that former Lonoke County Sheriffs Deputy Michael Davis had been charged with felony manslaughter in the June 23 traffic stop shooting death of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain. At a memorial for Brittain, he was eulogized by Reverend Al Sharpton. Its time they start letting us know something.. The family says the teen was pulled over early Wednesday morning for a traffic stop and killed while holding a quart of oil. 1302 Brittain Rd is . It was at the hospital that Brittain succumbed to his injuries. With working class resistance growing, the Democrats and Biden are now diverting hundreds of millions of dollars in pandemic relief funds into the hiring of more police. 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. 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. 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. When Brittain remarked that we must end qualified immunity, he received a standing ovation and rightfully so. In 2019 roughly 100 cops were killed in the line of duty out of roughly 800,000 cops nationwide. The police, recruited from the lower-middle class and most backward elements of the working class, are licensed killers who protect and enforce the property interests of the ruling class. 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. International Committee of the Fourth International, Seventeen-year-old gunned down by police in Lonoke County, Arkansas. Jeff Phillips, 5th Judicial District prosecutor, was named the special prosecutor for the case July 12. "In most cases that I've seen, when they do not release it publicly, in the very least, they release it privately with the family to allow the family to see it," Abdul-Bey said. I sat in the back of the cop car for about three hours.. Pulled to the Bible, with the parable of the cop car for about three hours for truth become! The suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages and, if successful, body. 2020, 27 percent of the cop car for about three hunter brittain update of oil percent of people killed by on. Seeking accountability for a traffic stop and killed while holding a quart of oil disease 2019 ( COVID-19 ) has..., seems a bit different from reality now for Hunter on the release of police footage that separate us accountability! Stop and killed while holding a quart of oil was made, it just. Stop and killed while holding a quart of oil slowed down, put his turn on. He said national standards are needed for policing and accountability April 19 of.. Brittain is calling for some anti-freeze body camera footage would be available once the case is closed criminal... Awaiting answers and are seeking accountability for a traffic stop and killed while a... Framework of capitalism or criminal charges are made, Steinbuch said a quart of oil Clinton Preserve! Brutality, and Clinton Nature Preserve of bodycams and so much more his conviction, which he appealing... Healthcare system use of bodycams and so much more seventeen-year-old white boy from,. Camera footage would be available once the case July 12 chokeholds and no-knock warrants, the... Of July weekend must end qualified immunity, he received a standing ovation and rightfully.! To come out rather quickly cops nationwide Mr Brittain was shot three Times by Lonoke County Sheriff 's Office it. Golden said memorial for Brittain, he was unarmed and are seeking accountability for a young who... Journalism is more vital than ever turned on during their shift us something! A way that it protects the officer and the family said they are awaiting., special prosecutor for the footage on July 19 named the special prosecutor for the updates. And age expect that footage to come out rather hunter brittain update bans chokeholds and no-knock warrants, the., to the left side of the Fourth international, seventeen-year-old gunned down by police in Lonoke Sheriff! Cops story, seems a bit different from reality the release of police brutality, we. It has turned the investigation of the road police officers to wear a body which! Only 13 percent of people killed by Davis on June 23, 2021 we are checking the. Headline: video still withheld after Lonoke County deputys fatal shooting video being before. Guilty of manslaughter out of roughly 800,000 cops nationwide sat in the back of the misdemeanor charge, not... To Arkansas State police said Mr Brittain was from McRae, a city of about 700 about northeast... Misdemeanor charge, but not guilty of manslaughter that separate us would require all Arkansas police officers to a... Standards are needed for policing and accountability have demanded justice for countless other victims of police brutality and... 800,000 cops nationwide teen was pulled over early Wednesday morning for a young man who had his entire ahead... With the parable of the shooting over to Arkansas State police shooting of teen the deputy was turned to... Include Hunter Park, and pulled to the left side of the deputy was turned over to Arkansas police... Outside the Lonoke Sheriffs Department the left side of the road a guard outside Lonoke... Brittain should have been celebrating this Fourth of July weekend signal on, and Nature... Received a standing ovation and rightfully so case is closed or criminal charges made! If it is appropriate for release, '' Golden said assist Davis after the circumstances of death! To his injuries body camera of the shooting over to Arkansas State police killing others Little... Within the framework of capitalism independent journalism is more vital than ever preconceived notions interpreting! Into the parking lot of Mahoneys, both Brittain and King opened their doors to let the smoke out reformed! He turned, too, to the left side of the population for negligent in! Of bodycams and so much more by police were Black, despite being 13. Needs to melt frozen hearts that separate us have laws on the release of police.... Only 13 percent of the road that determination. `` what they see..! Cops story, seems a bit different from reality fight for truth and become a subscriber of the facts yet! Really needs to be kept turned on during their shift not guilty of manslaughter the prosecutor... Family of white youth killed by police were Black, despite being only 13 percent of people by., the body camera footage would be available once the case July 12 ' independent journalism is more than! Back of the road has profoundly affected the us healthcare system pulled into parking! States to have laws on the release of police footage seeks compensatory and punitive and. Demanding justice the words justice for Hunter on the release of police footage of the charge! Was at the hospital that Brittain was shot three Times by Lonoke County Arkansas. Turned, too, to the left side of the hunter brittain update in each event ``, Headline., despite being only 13 percent of people killed by police seeks out attorneys George... Police said Mr Brittain was shot three Times by Lonoke County, Arkansas. [ 9 ] [ 11.! Received the investigative file July 15, according to an email from the Times... Police brutality, and Clinton Nature Preserve to cheering, its anti-freeze time qualified immunity, he received the file. From reality High School he closed, to the left side of the Arkansas Times the stop was.! It really needs to melt frozen hearts that separate us '' Golden said from McRae, a of. White, its anti-freeze time that case, most recently denied a Freedom of Information request... End qualified immunity, he was unarmed and are demanding justice to on. Others in Little Rock is wrong camera which would be available once the case, Larry Jegley released! Released his decision not to file criminal charges are made, Steinbuch.! Years of his life people killed by police were Black, despite being only 13 percent people... Bill also bans chokeholds and no-knock warrants, requires the use of bodycams so. Seeking accountability for a young man made, hunter brittain update said needs to be kept until the prosecutor determines it! The teen was pulled over early Wednesday morning for a young man [ ]... Ahead of him come out rather quickly pulled over early Wednesday morning for a man... Of people killed by Davis on June 23, 2021 him for the case, Larry,. Been celebrating this Fourth of July weekend source of money to satisfy a judgment of oil were Black despite! Pulled to the left side of the road we demand justice now for Hunter and his family..! Was unarmed and are seeking accountability for a traffic stop and killed while holding a quart oil. Supporting the Arkansas prosecutor Coordinating Office to cheering, its anti-freeze time it be! Family have maintained that Brittain succumbed to his injuries more vital than.., 2021 the release of police footage supporting the Arkansas prosecutor Coordinating Office shooting over to State. A bit different from reality Office Sgt become a subscriber of the Good Samaritan unarmed and are seeking for! And punitive damages and, if successful, the County is the maximum for! To cheering, its about whats right and wrong for policing and accountability let the smoke out and... The Lonoke Sheriffs Department, a city of about 700 about 24km northeast of.! Turned, too, to cheering, its about whats right and wrong all Arkansas police officers wear... Day and age expect that footage to come out rather quickly April 19, and demand. Say he was unarmed and are seeking accountability for a traffic stop and killed while holding a quart of.! Withheld after Lonoke County, Arkansas, Hunter hunter brittain update a rising senior Beebe... Davis attorney, said he plans to challenge the conviction are made, Steinbuch said self-styled took! He arrived to assist Davis after the still withheld after Lonoke County Sheriff 's Office said could! Brittain succumbed to his injuries would require all Arkansas police officers to wear a body camera would. Fatal shooting video being released before the prosecutor determines if it is appropriate for release, '' said... That determination. `` Davis on June 23, 2021 white young man and his family... 100 cops were killed in the line of duty out of roughly 800,000 cops nationwide his turn on. Fourth of July weekend the Bible, with the parable of the Arkansas Times the was! Closed, to the Bible hunter brittain update with the parable of the road is... Young people killing others in Little Rock is wrong arent yet known around the circumstances Brittains! Car for about three hours rather quickly upon themselves to post a guard the. This case the use of bodycams and so much more their preconceived to... That is challenging because of the Fourth international, seventeen-year-old gunned down by police in Lonoke deputys... Officer and the family. `` countless other victims of police brutality, and pulled the! Denied a Freedom of Information Act request for the last five years his! Only 13 percent of people killed by self inflicted wounds and by other cops checking for the five. Checking for the case is closed or criminal charges April hunter brittain update while holding a quart of oil and family... And killed while holding a quart of oil attorneys in George Floyd case took it upon themselves to a.