A former Arkansas sheriff’s deputy has been convicted of negligent homicide and sentenced to a year in jail over the 2021 shooting of a 17-year-old during a traffic stop.
The jury found Michael Davis guilty of the misdemeanor charge, but not guilty of manslaughter.
Davis pulled over Hunter Brittain, 17, on June 23, 2021, outside Cabot, a small town 30 miles north of Little Rock.
Davis said he shot Brittain once, after the teen exited his truck and reached into its bed – ignoring the sheriff’s deputy’s orders to show his hands. A passenger and another witness said they didn’t hear Davis order the teen to show his hands.
Brittain’s passenger said the pair had been working on the truck’s transmission. No firearms were found in or near the truck.
Davis was fired by Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley because he didn’t turn on his body camera until after the shooting.
Hunter Brittain, 17, was killed by Davis on June 23, 2021. GoFundMeRobert Newcomb, Davis’ attorney, said he plans to challenge the conviction.
“The police officer has a lot more situational awareness of a danger than maybe your or I would be aware of,” Newcomb said.
With Post wires.
