During a traffic stop early Wednesday, an Arkansas sheriff's deputy shot and killed a 17-year-old boy named Hunter Brittain, but officials have not revealed what led to the deadly shooting.
The Lonoke County Sheriff's Office said the investigation into the incident has been turned over to Arkansas State Police. The circumstances of the traffic stop and what prompted the deputy to fire his weapon at Brittain will be detailed in the investigation, said the state police.
Arkansas Deputy was put on leave while waiting for the investigation
State police said the shooting happened at an auto repair shop on Arkansas Highway 89 south of Cabot. The place is roughly 30 miles northeast of Little Rock and has a population of around 26,000 people.
Hunter Brittain was from McRae, a town of approximately 700 people about 15 miles northeast of Cabot, according to state police. Brittain was transported to a North Little Rock Hospital, where he later died.
Later Wednesday, Sgt. Michael Davis, who has been with the sheriff's office since 2013, was confirmed as the deputy involved in the incident.
Davis will be placed on administrative leave awaiting the conclusion of the state police investigation, according to the sheriff's office.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that state police had initially spelled the teen's name as Britain, but later confirmed it was spelled, Brittain. The shop owner who was not present during the traffic stop or shooting told KARK that the truck was behaving recklessly due to transmission issues and may have possibly collided with the deputy's car. According to KARK, the owner's nephew was allegedly Brittain's friend and was present when the incident occurred.
On Wednesday evening, friends and relatives of the Arkansas teen shot by a Lonoke County deputy protested in front of the Sheriff's Office. Brittain's relatives said he was working on his vehicle before driving it down the road and was stopped by Davis.
The teen then came out of his truck with a quart of oil in his hand, according to Brittain's family, and the officer fired his gun. Jesse Brittain, Hunter's uncle, told Fox16, "He was never told to halt, he was never told to freeze, he was just shot. He loved working with his hands, he wanted to be a race car driver."
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Brittain's family and friends seek justice
Hundreds of people gathered at the Lonoke Sheriff's Office, holding and raising signs that said "Justice for Hunter." Sheriff John Staley met with protesters and gave a healing prayer. Those in attendance began demanding answers almost immediately.
Others requested that Sheriff Staley disclose the shooting's body camera video. He claimed, though, that he had not seen it. Arkansas State Police said that they are still looking into the facts. They have not revealed why the teen was halted. His family has stated that they would continue to converge and protest outside the Lonoke County Sheriff's Office for the rest of the week.
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