LONOKE, Ark. — A western Arkansas prosecutor has been chosen to decide whether to prosecute a central Arkansas deputy for the fatal shooting of a teenager.
Lonoke County Prosecutor Chuck Graham received the Arkansas State Police case file on the fatal shooting and sent it to the state prosecutor coordinator since he's requested a special prosecutor to handle the case.
A Lonoke County circuit court judge on Monday (July 12) chose Jeff Phillips to handle the case of the death of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain by Sgt. Michael Davis, a Lonoke County sheriff's deputy.
Phillips is the prosecuting attorney for the 5th Judicial District of Arkansas, which comprises Franklin, Johnson and Pope counties.
Brittain's shooting by a Lonoke County sheriff's deputy has drawn the attention of civil rights activists nationally.
Davis has been fired for not activating his body camera before approaching Brittain.