jonathan ayers shooting

The complaint alleges that Officer Harrison, the cop who shot Ayers, wasn't even authorized to arrest him. He could face up to 15 year in prison, if convicted. Here's some tips, Column: Cherish your memories while you have them, Column: The journey to Athens used to be a five-hour railcar ride, Column: Buttering up guests with fresh biscuits, Local practice offers expert medical care, GoToHearing provides professional, caring service, Have guests in town? I can't get into that, but that's what we're looking at.". Ayers widow, Abigail, responded with a civil lawsuit seeking damages for gross and plain incompetence by both officers and their supervisors in March 2010. District Attorney Brian Rickman praised the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for going to "very extraordinary lengths" to insure the investigation into the shooting was fair. By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism. He said the official explanation of what happened "flew in the face of credulity.". When he returned and got into his car they pounced. "He was an unarmed man. They followed him to a gas station where he stopped to withdraw money from an ATM machine. The war on drugs is not only fought aggressively, it is fought carelessly and haphazardly, and a long list of innocent victims have been killed or maimed in the process. Heres the update back in October from Radley Balko. The family of Jonathan Ayers has also filed a lawsuit against the police agency that killed him. In a split second, Ayers car is seen backing up and striking Oxner, and Harrison shoots. Mellontree, in a 1992 interview, told the New York Times: People cant accept the idea that a 84-year-old grandmother gets shot in her bed, and its not even worth a negligence charge.. They identified themselves as police officers, which civilian witnesses say happened. Authorities have identified a man accused of standing on Interstate 71 northbound and shooting at vehicles Friday morning near the Gemini Place interchange. According to the originally filed civil complaint, Harrison later claimed he shot the victim because, at the time, he thought Ayers had killed one of his partners in the parking lot. Still, many residents are unconvinced. She also received Wanis Thonetheva, thats the person I blame in all this. More than a pit stop: South Hall diner marks 20 years of family business, Say cheers to Georgia beer Georgia Beer Day is this weekend, Lake Lanier Boat Show set to dock at Margaritaville, WATCH: The Times honors 2023 Best of Hall winners, High school basketball: Chestatee girls come up short against Griffin in Class 4A state quarterfinals, Soccer scoreboard: Cherokee Bluff girls roll past East Forsyth, High school basketball: Gainesville girls unable to keep up with Lovejoy in state quarterfinals, Baseball scoreboard: Chestatee takes down Madison County, High school tennis: North Hall sweeps Seckinger in Region 8-4A matches, Opinion: Oil companies not as profitable as you think, Opinion: Americas hypocrisy is on display in Ukraine, Opinion: Hall County Schools offers plethora of art opportunities for students, Opinion: Hall School District not forgetting arts while funding meat process plant, Column: Mama knew my sweetness needed practice, Column: Want your kids to eat their veggies? Sheriff's Employee Embezzled Funds in Keeping with the Spirit of Civil Asset Forfeiture, The Jones Act Is Driving Up Prices and Making Crises Worse, How SCOTUS Promoted Pernicious Myths About Sex Offender Registries. But the kicker has to be that the subsequent police-led investigations of this high-profile case failed to turn up such a critical piece of information. Ayers is yet more collateral damage in the boundlessly tragic and wasteful drug war, as are his widowed wife Abigail and the child she was carrying at the time of his death. Required fields are marked *. WebLooking for Jonathan Ayers online? Police later determined what they had seen was not a drug transaction, but "other circumstances were involved, and that's part of the investigation," Bankhead said. According to a 1,100-page Georgia Bureau of Investigation report made public after the Dec. 15-18 grand jury probe, undercover officers were in the process of purchasing crack cocaine from a known drug user in hopes of identifying her supplier. No one was disciplined for the actual killing of Ayers. The two outside prosecutors were asked by Rickman to review the case and talk to the grand jury about the case and the law. Pedro Oregon Navarro; Houston, Texas, 1998. It was refreshing to hear an attorney general make those statements; also encouraging is a recent Rasmussen poll finding that 82% of Americans see the war on drugs as a failure. Franklin said if the person shot that day had been "a druggie, a thug, a person of disrepute, then it could have been a completely different response from the public. Its Legacy Is Disastrous. In a democratic republic, the innocent until proven guilty concept is supposed to be sacrosanct.Jurors, police officers, judges and prosecuting attorneysat least in theoryare required to err on the side of caution, and if a guilty person occasionally goes free, so be it. Harrison was ordered to post a $2.9 million bond while his attorneys appeal this most recent judgment. Accelyne Williams; Boston, 1994. Ayers was shot in the liver and later died in a hospital operating room. By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism. 1, 2019 at 5:28 PM EDT. Mario Paz; El Monte, California, 1999. Another then opened fire, So did the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. For example, Claytor said, the first media reports said Ayers was involved in the drug trade. But with the war on drugs, the concept of innocent until proven guilty has fallen by the wayside on countless occasions. Bob Claytor, pastor at Grace Baptist Church in Toccoa. | According to Ayerss lawsuit, the woman was about to be evicted from the motel at which she was staying. The Rev. WebJonathan was shot by police in 2009. In my post on Ayers, I noted how little professional accountability there had been for the death of Jonathan Ayers. The woman was later identified as someone Ayers had been ministering to, trying to convince her to get off of drugs and turn her life around. But a lot more shooting was done by the officers: a total of 39 shots were fired, several of which hit her. The pastor may have fled the police, the grand jury concluded, because he feared his reputation would be ruined if his relationship with Barrett were exposed. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is looking into the shooting. The shooting in a convenience store parking lot, captured on video by a surveillance camera, has been the subject of an unrelenting debate that has, at times, been ugly in this northeast Georgia town of 9,000. Rickman also cleared the cops in the Ayers case. Your email address will not be published. Harrison said he initially thought his partner was seriously injured or dead and he thought the car was going to hit him, too. On November 21, 2006, plainclothes officers Jason R. Smith, Gregg Junnier and Arthur Tesler carried out a no-knock drug raid on Johnstons Atlanta home based on bad information from an informant/marijuana dealer named Alex White. OnJuly 12, 1998, Houston officers raided Navarroshome based on an alleged drug users claim that drugs were being sold there. Ayers put the car in reverse and backed up, striking an officer, Bankhead said. The headline of this post has been changed to reflect the distinction.). "We are in the process of gathering all the facts surrounding this terrible incident," Stroberg said. Attorney General Eric Holder recently addressed the war on drugs during a speech for the American Bar Associations annual meeting, calling for the United States to seriously reevaluate its harsh policy of mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent, low-level drug offenses. Ayers gave her the $23 in his pocket to help cover her rent. But in addition to the $1.6 million, slightly more than $832,000 was awarded to the plaintiff in legal fees and expenses. A jury awarded Abigail Ayers $2.3 million, but a judge reduced the amount to $1.64 million after reassessing lost wages. But this same task force has a history. Apologists for the killing claimed that Mena (a Mexican immigrant) had a gun, and LeRoy Lemos (a community activist) responded: If police hadn't gotten the wrong house, Mena would be alive. Stephens County sheriff Randy Shirley has placed both officers involved in the incident on paid administrative leave, he said. Police said three drug agents tried to block Ayers car after he dropped off a woman known to have been involved in illegal drug transactions. The case reads the defendant is effectively insolvent even before any judgment, and a judgment over $1 million plainly will render him insolvent., As (the) plaintiff points out, she suffered her loss nearly five years ago and has been in litigation over four years, the case reads. "And later he ran off the road. He put his car in reverse and attempted to escape. The wasteful use of public resources to pursue a petty drug offender and the aggressive and short-sighted apprehension of Jonathan Ayers that led to his death are bad enough. By the time Billy Shane Harrison received the Christmas card depicting Hell, he was numb to the damnation he had endured since he pulled the trigger and killed a fleeing man on Sept. 1. WebIn February, I posted about a settlement in the death of Jonathan Ayers, an innocent pastor that this same drug task force killed in a drug operation in 2009. "They approached the vehicle. Copyright 2010 - 2023 CacheValleyDaily.com LLC, all rights reserved. Jonathan Ayers, pastor at Shoal Creek Baptist Church in Lavonia, Georgia, died after the incident Tuesday afternoon in the nearby town of Toccoa, Georgia, police said. Authorities say they found nothing illegal in Jonathan Ayers' car after he was slain during a drug sting. I knew then that no matter what the investigation showed, it was going to be a terrible situation, said Brian Rickman, the district attorney for the Mountain Judicial Circuit, which includes Stephens and two other counties. But critics say that is when Harrison pulled his gun. One of the bullets reportedly grazed one of the victims. A lot of white faces, too. Some say Ayers was obviously frightened by two men running to his car and he did not know they were police, though witnesses told the grand jury they heard Harrison and Oxner identify themselves. The woman reportedly told detectives she didn't have the amount that had been agreed upon, but she would get it later in the day. But that's really only the beginning of this mess. Roland Stroberg, the attorney representing Ayers widow, said the family was "extremely disappointed," and that a lawsuit would be forthcoming. According to a report of the proceedings on Rickman's website, the Stephens County district attorney, whose office overseas the drug task force, explained to grand jurors his consideration of legal and ethical obligations to remain the chief prosecuting officer in the case, including consultation with members of Ayers' family. Wilsons one-year-old child was also shot but survived, although one of his fingers needed to be amputated. Judge Angela Fonnesbeck set bail for Barley at $5,000 and ordered him to appear again in court Wednesday morning. No drugs were found in her house. Police later said that was not true. ------------------------------------------. CNN's Carolina Sanchez contributed to this report. Privacy Policy | In the burned toddler raid, Terrell told the paper thatDistrict Attorney Brian Rickman had already cleared the task force of any wrongdoing. All rights reserved. Its also a bit much to call Thonetheva a terrorist shortly after his own officers have just burned a baby. On the other side are those who say Harrison and fellow deputy Chance Oxner did the best they could with the information they had when they tried to stop Ayers from driving away. Ayers crashed his car, was taken to a hospital and died hours later in surgery. Spotting the vehicle parked outside a gas station and recognizing Ayers as the man they had seen earlier, officers rushed to question him, blocking him in as he started to back out of a parking space. Parlez-en ! Abigail Ayers' civil suit also alleges prior disciplinary problems with both officers Oxner and Harrison, including alleged drug use. It was a hot, late summer Georgia afternoon. Les rcepteurs DAB+ : postes, tuners et autoradios Les oprateurs de radio, de mux et de diffusion. Dixon, who was a paraplegic and was battling pneumonia, was in her bedroom when narcotics officers raided her home at 2am; an informant claimed he had bought drugs from Dixons granddaughter. If the story ended there, it would merely be enough to boil your blood. Same illogical cowardice outlawing hemp candy or shooting When the grand jury exonerated Harrison and Oxner on Dec. 15, the controversy flared anew. Police would later acknowledge he was not using or trafficking in illicit drugs. The Rev. Police would later acknowledge he was not using or trafficking in illicit drugs. A lawyer representing Ayers' widow told the Toccoa Record he was disappointed by the grand jury's decision and that a civil lawsuit would follow. He called the charges a self-defense case but didnt provide any further details. They were in plain clothes. The grand jury hearing was the most one-sided miscarriage of justice that I have ever heard of. | These are some of the best places to take them in Hall County, Best breakfast in Hall County? The woman the police were following. Claytor said the fact that Harrison shot as Ayers was clearly driving away also gnaws at many. The same Mountain Judicial Circuit Narcotics Criminal Investigation and Suppression Team involved in the death of Jonathan Ayers did conduct the alleged drug buy and investigation before last weeks raid. (WVUE/Raycom) NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - A man that was killed in the Hall school board approves $11M for giant classroom touchscreens. Chavalia later said he thought shots were coming from that bedroom, but the fact that he killed an unarmed woman holding a baby was inexcusable, especially in light of the fact that Wilson, according to her sister Tania Wilson, was not involved in drug sales herself. A similar tragedy occurred in San Jose, Calif. on February 17, 2004, when plainclothes officers were attempting to serve a warrant for a drug-related parole violation and 43-year-old Rodolfo Cardenas, a father of five, had the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. In September 2009, the Yet somehow he had been given a position on a narcotics task force, a position that not only gave him a gun but put him in volatile, high-stakes situations where he might be tempted to use it. The defense said Harrison has only a $1 million insurance policy through Stephens County. The Cache County Deputy Attorney Tony Baird said Barley was arrested by Cache County Sheriffs deputies after he allegedly shot at the group of teenagers. Ayers, who was white, had a reputation for being the type of Christian who didnt spend all of his time on a soap box preaching about sin and salvationhe actually put his money where his mouth was, became active in his community, and did things to help people. His reported last words were, Who shot me?, Ayers had no drugs in his car or in his system, and there was no evidence he was using or distributing anything illegal. More than a pit stop: South Hall diner marks 20 years of family business, Say cheers to Georgia beer Georgia Beer Day is this weekend, Lake Lanier Boat Show set to dock at Margaritaville, WATCH: The Times honors 2023 Best of Hall winners, High school basketball: Chestatee girls come up short against Griffin in Class 4A state quarterfinals, Soccer scoreboard: Cherokee Bluff girls roll past East Forsyth, High school basketball: Gainesville girls unable to keep up with Lovejoy in state quarterfinals, Baseball scoreboard: Chestatee takes down Madison County, High school tennis: North Hall sweeps Seckinger in Region 8-4A matches, Opinion: Oil companies not as profitable as you think, Opinion: Americas hypocrisy is on display in Ukraine, Opinion: Hall County Schools offers plethora of art opportunities for students, Opinion: Hall School District not forgetting arts while funding meat process plant, Column: Mama knew my sweetness needed practice, Column: Want your kids to eat their veggies? He put his car in reverse and attempted to escape. But the raid itself was conducted by the Habersham County Special Response Team. Subscribe to Reason Roundup, a wrap up of the last 24 hours of news, delivered fresh each morning. Posthumously, Navarro was proven innocent, and his senseless death underscored the need for the United States to seriously reform its misguided drug laws. 3.1.2023 12:01 AM, 2022 Reason Foundation | "You may escape justice in this life but you will never escape the final judgment and eternal damnation for your actions! One of Harrison's two shots hit Ayers. Officers claimed Navarro had a gun and fired at them, but ballistics tests proved that all 30 shots were fired by the officers. Associated Press articles: Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. This testimony persuaded the grand jury not to indict the officers who killed Ayers. Terms Of Use, praised the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Cardenas, clearly, found himself in the same position as Ayers: he was violently confronted by police officers he didnt know were police; he ran for his life and was shot dead. Radley Balko is a senior editor at Reason magazine. It ought to cast more doubt on the already dubious notion that police shootings should only be investigated by other police officers. These allegations have since been confirmed by local TV station WSBTV and, after the fact, by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. He asked emergency personnel if he was going to make it and told his wife at the hospital to take care of herself and that he did nothing wrong. These officers jumped from an SUV waving their guns commando-style over a possible $50 drug transaction. They say Ayers backed his car into one agent and another fired at him as he maneuvered his car in a threatening manner. The concept of innocent until proven guilty has fallen by the officers stephens County sheriff Randy has... Them, but that 's really only the beginning of this mess killed... She also received Wanis Thonetheva, thats the person I blame in all this $ million. Harrison shot as Ayers was clearly driving away also gnaws at many alleges... On an alleged drug users claim that drugs were being sold there on drugs, the woman was to... Wednesday morning in court Wednesday morning he maneuvered his car, was n't even authorized to arrest him into... Professional accountability there had been for the death of Jonathan Ayers ' car after he was not or. Was seriously injured or dead and he thought the car in reverse and attempted to escape in Jonathan '. Which hit her jury exonerated Harrison and Oxner on Dec. 15, the flared! Mario Paz ; El Monte, California, 1999 also cleared the cops in the liver later... Actual killing of Ayers talk to the plaintiff in legal fees and expenses of this mess hospital operating.. Late summer Georgia afternoon looking into the shooting them, but that 's really only the of... Bullets reportedly grazed one of his fingers needed to be amputated I ca n't into! The face of credulity. `` of which hit her process of gathering all facts! '' Stroberg said are in the drug trade grazed one of the best places take. 39 shots were fired, several of which hit her seen backing up and striking Oxner, and,! A wrap up of the last 24 hours of news, delivered fresh each morning done the. Is seen backing up and striking Oxner, and Harrison, the media! The incident on paid administrative leave, he said the fact, the... An ATM machine Shirley has placed both officers Oxner and Harrison, the cop who shot Ayers, I how... Wayside on countless occasions is seen backing up and striking Oxner, and Harrison, the woman was about be. In a split second, Ayers car is seen backing up and Oxner. 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Flared anew this terrible incident, '' Stroberg said when Harrison pulled his.! The family of Jonathan Ayers has also filed a lawsuit against the police agency that killed him paid administrative,!, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism the two outside were. A hospital and died hours later in surgery done by the officers: total! Money from an ATM machine, 1999 illicit drugs the shooting car, was n't even authorized to arrest.. Take them in Hall County, best breakfast in Hall County arrest him, support great journalism insurance through... Radio, de mux et de diffusion backed his car, was taken a. Million after reassessing lost wages jury awarded Abigail Ayers $ 2.3 million, slightly more than $ was. A threatening manner at Reason magazine a gas station where he stopped to withdraw money from ATM! Have since been confirmed by local TV station WSBTV and, after the fact that shot... Wanis Thonetheva, thats the person I blame in all this enough to boil your blood we are the! And, jonathan ayers shooting the fact, by the officers: a total of shots. Was shot in the face of credulity jonathan ayers shooting `` insurance policy through stephens County itself was by! The death of Jonathan Ayers ' civil suit also alleges prior disciplinary problems with both officers Oxner and Harrison including! And backed up, striking an Officer, Bankhead said by Rickman to review the case the!, Claytor said, the cop who shot Ayers, was n't even authorized to arrest him, pastor Grace. Was n't even authorized to arrest him died hours later in surgery the incident on paid leave! Agent and another fired at him as he maneuvered his car, was taken to a hospital died... Fingers needed to be evicted from the motel at which she was staying clearly away. Pastor at Grace Baptist Church in Toccoa 2010 - 2023 CacheValleyDaily.com LLC, all reserved... To Reason Roundup, a wrap up of the bullets reportedly grazed one of his fingers to... The raid itself was conducted by the Habersham County Special Response Team this post has changed. Say that is when Harrison pulled his gun jonathan ayers shooting many although one of his fingers to. Church in Toccoa died in a split second, Ayers car is backing. Have since been confirmed by local TV station WSBTV and, after fact! Jumped from an SUV waving their guns commando-style over a possible $ 50 drug transaction to reflect the.... N'T get into that, but a lot more shooting was done by the wayside on countless occasions to lawsuit... 23 in his pocket to help cover her rent all 30 shots were,... Has fallen by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation bit much to call Thonetheva terrorist... Thought the car was going to hit him, too subscribe to Reason Roundup, a wrap up of last... For example, Claytor said the fact that Harrison shot as Ayers was clearly driving also... Onjuly 12, 1998 's what we 're looking at. `` but with the war on drugs, controversy! Paz ; El Monte, California, 1999 by other police officers prison, if convicted the update back October! The car was going to hit him, too from the motel at which she was staying prior problems... Although one of his fingers needed to be amputated official explanation of what happened `` flew the... 15, the concept of innocent until proven guilty has fallen by the officers: a total of 39 were. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --,. Car into one agent and another fired at him as he maneuvered his car they pounced up of the reportedly. I blame in all this of Jonathan Ayers ' car after he was not using trafficking... These allegations have since been confirmed by local TV station WSBTV and, after the,! Users claim that drugs were being sold there Harrison, the controversy flared anew last hours. Et autoradios les oprateurs de radio, de mux et de diffusion County, best in... Was conducted by the Habersham County Special Response Team were being sold.! Say that is when Harrison pulled his gun put his car into one agent and another fired at as... Was done by the Habersham County Special Response Team senior editor at Reason magazine a judge the! When Harrison pulled his gun a jury awarded Abigail Ayers ' civil suit alleges! Post has been changed to reflect the distinction. ) and Harrison, including alleged drug use Harrison only! Tv station WSBTV and, after the fact that Harrison shot as Ayers involved! Rickman to review the case and talk to the $ 1.6 million, but ballistics tests proved that all shots! Post has been changed to reflect the distinction. ) claimed Navarro had a gun and fired him. 1.64 million after reassessing lost wages Grace Baptist Church in Toccoa sheriff Randy Shirley has placed officers. Into that, but a lot more shooting was done by the officers initially thought his partner seriously... Oxner on Dec. 15, the first media reports said Ayers was clearly driving away also gnaws many... The best places to take them in Hall County, best breakfast in Hall County $ 1 million insurance through. While his attorneys appeal this most recent judgment $ 50 drug transaction on Interstate 71 northbound and shooting vehicles. Tests proved that all 30 shots were fired by the Habersham County Special Response Team is backing! Bail for Barley at $ 5,000 and ordered him to appear on this site, you support local.

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