This article originally appeared on Alternet. WebArmed agents dressed in street clothes then rushed Ayerss car. The officers were undercover, dressed in shabby clothes and ski-mask caps. In the end, the jury decided the shooting was justified. | The officers saw Cardenas and assumed he was David Gonzales, the man they were looking forand when they pointed their guns at Cardenas, he fled (first in a vehicle, then on foot) but was shot in the back and killed. According to Bankhead, Ayers then put the car into drive, and another officer fired into the car, hitting Ayers, because he thought his life was in danger. He called the charges a self-defense case but didnt provide any further details. But instead of apprehending her at the motel, they instead followed Ayers, the stranger they'd just seen give her a ride and hand her some cash. The badges they had hanging from their necks, seen in this photo, were far from conspicuous. Ayers 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. A Stephens County grand jury had cleared the agents of criminal wrongdoing shortly after the incident. Grand jury clears officers in minister shooting, Officials claim law enforcement fatally shot pastor after he drove car in threatening way, SPONSORED: How to start a hiking, backpacking habit in 2022. Its also a bit much to call Thonetheva a terrorist shortly after his own officers have just burned a baby. Claytor, whose son was a close friend of Ayers, said within hours of the shooting, law enforcement started "spinning this story" and "covering their tracks." The GBI was called in. Wilson, a single mother, had been romantically involved with a suspected drug dealer named Anthony Terry (who later pled guilty to selling drugs). Heres when your childs school will get one. Stroberg has been critical of how the case was presented to the grand jury. A cafeteria-style restaurant leads this list of 12 popular spots, SPONSORED: See the Great Smoky Mountains in style. Gwinnett Countys district attorney and a retired DA were asked to review the case. She also received Despite the fact that Harrison had killed a man suspected of no crime months earlier without having undergone lethal-force training and certification, the officer was still carrying his badge and gun up until the time of the WSBTV report. Smith, Junnier and Tesler faced a variety of charges from both the federal government and the state of Georgia. Accelyne Williams; Boston, 1994. The headline of this post has been changed to reflect the distinction.). "Concerning the actions of the officers involved in the death of Jonathan Ayers on Sept. 1, 2009, we find that the use of deadly force by Agent Billy Shane Harrison was legally justified based upon his objectively reasonable belief that such use of force was necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or others," a statement signed by the grand jurors read. AlthoughChavalia was acquitted of criminal charges, Wilsons family was awarded $2.5 million in 2010 in a civil lawsuit against the city of Lima. 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. A concussion grenade was thrown into the apartment; Spruill, a city employee who was getting ready to leave for work, suffered a heart attack and died. This testimony persuaded the grand jury not to indict the officers who killed Ayers. "Once all these facts are in public view, we feel it will be abundantly clear that there was no legal justification for the undercover drug agent to shoot and kill Jonathan Ayers in broad daylight on the streets of Toccoa, Ga.". SWAT teams can serve a valuable function in law enforcement. Holder acknowledged that too many Americans go to too many prisons for far too long and for no truly good law enforcement reason, and he pointed out that according to one report, black males convicted in drug cases typically receive sentences that are 20% longer than the sentences imposed on white males for similar offenses. These are some of the best places to take them in Hall County, Best breakfast in Hall County? Though I know they can't all be good. He was charged with two counts of felony discharge of a firearm and seven counts of aggravated assault, all second and third-degree felonies. Ayers was shot in the liver and later died in a hospital operating room. Published: Jul. 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. All rights reserved. For example, Claytor said, the first media reports said Ayers was involved in the drug trade. So did the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Still, many residents are unconvinced. 345 homes proposed in this area at Hall-Gwinnett County line, Man indicted in strangling death, attorney says he maintains his innocence, These Hall high schools named Honor Schools for success in AP classes, Georgia Senate seeks to allow rural hospitals without permit. Wilson, however, was in one of the bedrooms; when Chavalia fired shots into that bedroom, she was killed. 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. Rickman would tell a local paper that the investigations went to extraordinary lengths, and,I do not see how anybody could say the process was unfair based on the lengths that they went to.. Idexx Laboratories Inc. Chairman, President and CEO Jonathan Ayers is on a medical leave of absence following a serious cycling accident that occurred Thursday. They are no better than a domestic terrorist, because they dont care about families they didnt care about the family, the children living in that household to be selling dope out of it, to be selling methamphetamine out of it. Police said they later observed a white male in a red Honda Civic give the woman money. 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. No drugs and nothing else illegal was found in Ayers' car, Bankhead said, "even though what occurred would make any undercover officer working drugs think that was a possibility. In hostage situations, for example, a SWAT team can save lives. They also had badges around their necks.". The officer that was struck by the car was treated and released at a local hospital. Kathryn Johnston; Atlanta, Georgia, 2006. That a police officer untrained in the use of lethal force and unqualified to be holding a badge and gun was put on a narcotics task force, and then placed in a position where he was able to shoot and kill a non-suspect is worse. 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. 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? I can't get into that, but that's what we're looking at.". Ayers had not been a suspect in any drug investigation. Ayers put the car in reverse and backed up, striking an officer, Bankhead said. WebJonathan Ayers We found 100+ records for Jonathan Ayers in MD, WV and 32 other states. The suit has since meandered through a series of 208 motions, depositions and other court filings. In 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. 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. 3.1.2023 8:00 AM, J.D. One of the bullets reportedly grazed one of the victims. Yards down the street, Ayers car jumped a curb and hit a tree. They followed the car as Ayers dropped the woman off at a gas station. And not too many cases were it's obvious the shooting was bad or even unnecessary. The surveillance video was on the Internet within a day of the shooting, fueling speculation and half-accounts that were repeated online and in letters to area newspapers. But in the drug war, the combination of SWAT teams, no-knock raids and sloppy police work can have deadly consequences for innocent people. Les rcepteurs DAB+ : postes, tuners et autoradios Les oprateurs de radio, de mux et de diffusion. A federal jury in Gainesville, Ga., said a reasonable officer would have realized that Ayers' Police would later acknowledge he was not using or trafficking in illicit drugs. Grand jury to review police shooting of Georgia pastor, Probe of Georgia pastor's shooting expected to take another month, Rally planned for Georgia pastor killed in botched drug sting, Georgia Baptist pastor killed in botched drug sting. 3. He said the official explanation of what happened "flew in the face of credulity.". These officers jumped from an SUV waving their guns commando-style over a possible $50 drug transaction. In September 2009, the Michael Walker, the California Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement officer who fired the fatal shot, was charged with voluntary manslaughter but was acquitted by a San Jose jury in 2005. Heres the update back in October from Radley Balko. Rodolfo Rudy Cardenas; San Jose, California, 2004. A national expert on police shootings was consulted. The Stephens County, Georgia Sheriff's Department initially said Ayers was a drug suspect, but later had to retract. At an inquest, a predominantly white jury decided that the shooting was accidental and that Baggett should not be charged with anything. She was awarded the $2.3 million in lost wages over the course of the decedents lifetime. Your email address will not be published. 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? But no good deed goes unpunished, and on March 25, 1994, Williams efforts to help a substance abuser led to his death. Tuccille Want to share a story? When the grand jury exonerated Harrison and Oxner on Dec. 15, the controversy flared anew. Instead, Ayers had either been ministering to or having an affair with (depending on whom you believe) Johanna Kayla Jones Barrett, the actual target of the investigation. Ayers, who obviously thought they were gang members or carjackers, tried to escape but was shot and killed. In Denver, one such person was 45-year-old Ismael Mena, who was shot and killed by a SWAT team during a no-knock raid on September 29, 1999. Rumors continue to feed the fire. After causing Spruills death, the officers realized that they had just killed an innocent person. WebATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- A north Georgia pastor was shot to death by police when he struck an officer with his car after he was seen in a vehicle with a drug suspect, He died at the hospital. * Cpl. The family of Jonathan Ayers has also filed a lawsuit against the police agency that killed him. WebAyers, attempting to leave the scene, was shot by Harrison. The task force followed Ayers to a convenience store, where he went in to get money from an ATM. Below are 10 innocent victims who became collateral damage and lost their lives in the war on drugs (there are many, many more). WebLooking for Jonathan Ayers online? 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. One of Harrison's two shots hit Ayers. Jonathan Ayers, 28, was shot Sept. 1, 2009, in Review & Giveaway: What Do We Do When Nobody is Listening? An unmarked Escalade pulls up and three men jump out in masks and guns. It was later revealed that Rickman had appointed the head of the task force at the time of the Ayers shooting, and was a close personal friend with the officer (who is now deceased). Jonathan Ayers, Rodolfo Rudy Cardenas, Alberta Spruill, Mario Paz, Kathryn Johnston and others could have been prevented. Ayers likely had his windows up and his air conditioning on. The defense said Harrison has only a $1 million insurance policy through Stephens County. Jonathan Ayers, a 28-year-old Baptist minister from northern Georgia. All they care about is making money. In many cases, politicians (both Democrats and Republicans) are so afraid of being considered soft on drugs that they are reluctant to say anything critical of narcotics officers no matter how badly they screw up. The 18-person grand jury was provided with the Georgia Bureau of Investigations case file on the shooting, which contained more than 1,000 pages, as well as 26 compact discs of interviews, photos and 911 recordings. He put his car in reverse and attempted to escape. WebJonathan Ayers, 28-years-old, was a pastor at the Shoal Creek Baptist Church in Toccoa, Georgia. 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Pedro Oregon Navarro; Houston, Texas, 1998. Friends said Ayers had been ministering to the woman trying to convince her to get off drugs. Heres the blurry video from the Convenience store showing officers shooting at him as he drives away. 1. According to the originally filed civil complaint, Harrison later claimed he shot the victim because, at the time, he thought They identified themselves as police officers, which civilian witnesses say happened. Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Several people working at the hospital told GBI investigators that Ayers told them he didn't know who shot him. undercover with the Mountain Judicial Circuit Narcotics Criminal Investigation and Suppression team on the night of the shooting, Sept. 1, 2009. He put his car in reverse and attempted to escape. Another then opened fire, Rickman was unavailable for comment Friday. 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