Authorities have identified a man accused of standing on Interstate 71 northbound and shooting at vehicles Friday morning near the Gemini Place interchange. The Narks are murderers for shooting an innocent preacher, You trying to justify it only shows how weak some Georgia citizens are. He said the official explanation of what happened "flew in the face of credulity.". Ayers had not been a suspect in any drug investigation. 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. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is looking into the shooting. A Stephens County grand jury began hearing evidence in the case Tuesday and issued a finding Friday afternoon. 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. According to the originally filed civil complaint, Harrison later claimed he shot the victim because, at the time, he thought TOCCOA, Ga. (ABP) A grand jury has cleared police officers involved in a Sept. 1 shooting that killed a Southern Baptist pastor caught in the middle of a botched drug sting. A Stephens County grand jury decided that narcotics officers Billy Shane Harrison and Kyle Bryant were justified in shooting Jonathan Ayers, 28, pastor of Shoal Creek Baptist Church in Lavonia, Ga., in a botched drug arrest on Sept. 1, 2009. WebJonathan was shot by police in 2009. For three days in December, a grand jury was presented with the interviews and watched the video. 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. WebArmed agents dressed in street clothes then rushed Ayerss car. More astonishing, Harrison apparently had no training at all in the use of lethal force. The leader of veterinary diagnostics company IDEXX is out of commission because of a serious bicycle crash. They were in plain clothes. And using a SWAT team to go after a small-time drug dealer is bad police work. CNN's Carolina Sanchez contributed to this report. | 2023 Baptist News Global. He was taken a local hospital, went into surgery and died an hour later. Rickman also cleared the cops in the Ayers case. In hostage situations, for example, a SWAT team can save lives. 6. But a lot more shooting was done by the officers: a total of 39 shots were fired, several of which hit her. He died four hours later at the local hospital of his gunshot wound. But in the drug war, the combination of SWAT teams, no-knock raids and sloppy police work can have deadly consequences for innocent people. The defense said Harrison has only a $1 million insurance policy through Stephens County. Ayers widow, Abby Ayers, lives in Gainesville and has retained a local attorney in the case. At an inquest, a predominantly white jury decided that the shooting was accidental and that Baggett should not be charged with anything. Ayers lawyers declined to comment; a call to a lawyer representing Harrison was not returned. When he returned and got into his car they pounced. Ayers widow, Abby Local law enforcement knew sorting out the shooting would be difficult. A cafeteria-style restaurant leads this list of 12 popular spots, SPONSORED: See the Great Smoky Mountains in style. For example, Claytor said, the first media reports said Ayers was involved in the drug trade. This would have been a grossly disproportionate way for these cops to have approached Barrett, their actual suspect, much less a guy they sought to question only about the 10 minutes he'd just spent in the car with her. WebAfter Ayers tried to drive past the descending officers, Harrison shot and killed him. Officers claimed Navarro had a gun and fired at them, but ballistics tests proved that all 30 shots were fired by the officers. But Abigail Ayers' civil suit (PDF) calls that assessment into question. Ayers was shot This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. WebLooking for Jonathan Ayers online? He shot the 28-year-old Ayers in the parking lot of a Toccoa convenience store when the victim accidentally walked into an undercover drug investigation. She was awarded the $2.3 million in lost wages over the course of the decedents lifetime. Both units serve Habersham County and are under the jurisdiction of Sheriff Joey Terrel and DA Brian Rickman. Abigail Marilyn Ayers was originally awarded $2.3 million in damages and expenses by a jury in February. This article was published more than8 years ago, (CORRECTION: The copy below is slightly incorrect. 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. Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. Jonathan Ayers, a 28-year-old Baptist minister from northern Georgia. "The video seemed to be the main catalyst for a lot of anger," Rickman said. A federal jury in Gainesville, Ga., said a reasonable officer would have realized that Ayers' 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. Many African Americans in that part of Texas, including members of the local NAACP chapter and Smith County Commissioner Andrew Mellontree, were outraged that Baggett dodged both criminal and civil charges. The officers claim they spotted Ayers dropping off a woman they were investigating as detectives in a multi-county drug task force. When the grand jury exonerated Harrison and Oxner on Dec. 15, the controversy flared anew. A 34-year-old Snellville woman has been identified as the victim of a fatal shooting that occurred at her place of employment in the Centerville area on Friday. Thats a remarkably fast investigation given that the raid happened less than two days ago. They first said he was part of their drug investigation all along, then retracted. But no good deed goes unpunished, and on March 25, 1994, Williams efforts to help a substance abuser led to his death. The Rev. Once the publicity hit, Harrison was suspended. | I can't get into that, but that's what we're looking at.". ------------------------------------------. Ayers' sister did not return a call from CNN Thursday. A Stephens County grand jury had cleared the agents of criminal wrongdoing shortly after the incident. Rodolfo Rudy Cardenas; San Jose, California, 2004. But this same task force has a history. 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. Jonathan Paul Ayers, a pastor at the small Shoal Creek Baptist Church, was shot outside a Toccoa convenience store by plainclothes drug agents on Sept. 1. In the process, he nicked one agent. 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. So in other words, El Monte officers conducted a commando-style raid on the Paz home based on the fact that a drug suspect (who was out on bail and hadnt been convicted) had received some mail in their home during the previous decade. Other members . Webofficial athlete of dream different sports and life & basketball brand Report this post Shooting On January 4, 2008, narcotics officer Joseph Chavalia shot and killed 26-year-old Tarika Wilson in Lima, Ohio. In September 2009, Johnathan Ayers, a 28-year-old Baptist pastor from Lavonia, Ga., was gunned down by a North Georgia narcotics task force in the parking lot of a gas station. So maybe we should take Rickmans quick assessment of this weeks raid with a grain of salt. Police would later acknowledge he was not using or trafficking in illicit drugs. 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.. Her lawsuit claims that the officers decision to wait until he returned to his car and then - in video captured on a surveillance camera - speed to a stop beside him and jump out of a black SUV wearing plain clothes with weapons drawn would cause a reasonable person to assume they were not police but criminals. Previous story (with links to earlier coverage), Widow files lawsuit in police shooting of slain Baptist pastor, Review: Second Thoughts About the Second Coming, West Virginia GOP Majority House OKs Religious Freedom Bill, 30 Years Later, Waco Siege Still Resonates Especially Among Anti-Government Extremists. A lot of white faces, too. | "The community reaction has been mostly negative," said the Rev. SWAT teams can serve a valuable function in law enforcement. Three officers, all undercover, got out of the vehicle and pointed their guns at Ayers. Although Paz was a gun owner, he never shot at the officershe didnt live long enough. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. In a split second, Ayers car is seen backing up and striking Oxner, and Harrison shoots. Some contend Ayers was running because he didn't want the police to expose a secret part of his life: Barrett told investigators that she and Ayers had been having an affair for years. 3.1.2023 12:01 AM, 2022 Reason Foundation | (You can watch surveillance video of the altercation here.) Jonathan Ayers, 28, was shot Sept. 1, 2009, in Barley didnt speak during the brief arraignment hearing. 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Wilson, a single mother, had been romantically involved with a suspected drug dealer named Anthony Terry (who later pled guilty to selling drugs). One of the most disturbing examples of "collateral damage" in the war on drugs was that of the Rev. Ayers widow believes her husband thought he was being robbed and tried to get away. According to an interview Barrett gave to the North Georgian newspaper shortly after Ayers' death, the pastor had seen her walking near a gas station on her way back to an extended-stay motel where she was living with her boyfriend. The Department of Homeland Security Turns 20. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment at Fort Bragg, N.C., before reporting to the 173rd in July 2006. No drugs were found in her house. A national expert on police shootings was consulted. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Radley Balko is a journalist at The Washington Post. And even today, police acknowledge he was not using or trafficking in illicit drugs. "Tell your boss we demand justice for these murdering thugs,'" was one of the first messages left for him, Rickman said. No illegal drugs were found in Navarros home, and blood tests conducted after his death showed no traces of any illegal drugs in his system. Jonathan Andrew Barley was booked Saturday night Had the narcotics officers who confronted Ayers been wearing uniforms that made them easily recognizable as cops, its possible that he would not have fled and would still be alive today. And he continues to get anonymous messages, including the Christmas card depicting Hell. ATLANTA, 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, authorities told CNN. It was a hot, late summer Georgia afternoon. They pulled up behind him in an unmarked black SUV. He suspects they are private detectives. The Rev. A man shot another family member, an adult, whom he mistakenly believed was a burglar, 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. AlthoughChavalia was acquitted of criminal charges, Wilsons family was awarded $2.5 million in 2010 in a civil lawsuit against the city of Lima. 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. Bob Allen is managing editor of Associated Baptist Press. On one side are those who believe the district attorney, the Stephens County sheriff, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, area law enforcement and the grand jury were corrupted because they were determined to protect one of their own. SALON is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a trademark of Salon.com, LLC. Heres when your childs school will get one. One other law enforcement official was fired for lying about the training. This article originally appeared on Alternet. 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. Rumors continue to feed the fire. Drug Team involved in the September 2009 incident at a Toccoa gas station in which the Rev. Shirley told CNN the drug task force unit comprises three Georgia counties -- Stephens, Habersham and Rabun. Rickman told the AJC that calls to his office started the day after the shooting. Police would later acknowledge he was not using or trafficking in illicit drugs. In my post on Ayers, I noted how little professional accountability there had been for the death of Jonathan Ayers. 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. At the heart of this outrage, though, once again, is our increasingly demented, hysterical, all-too-literal drug war. (She had allegedly sold an undercover officer $50 worth of cocaine.) Abigail Ayers' civil suit also alleges prior disciplinary problems with both officers Oxner and Harrison, including alleged drug use. If the story ended there, it would merely be enough to boil your blood. 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? They followed the car as Ayers dropped the woman off at a gas station. "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. Find Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok profiles, images and more on IDCrawl - free people search website. 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WebJonathan Ayers of Hart County, age 28, died Tuesday night at Stephens County Hospital after being treated for a gunshot wound received during an incident at a convenience "The vigilantes will get their justice, hopefully, in civil court. As he pulled out of the station, Ayers grazed Officer Oxner with his car. The two outside prosecutors were asked by Rickman to review the case and talk to the grand jury about the case and the law. Authorities say they found nothing illegal in Jonathan Ayers' car after he was slain during a drug sting. LOGAN A 29-year-old Ogden man has been arrested for allegedly shooting at a group of teenagers in Providence Canyon. "Dear Billy Shane," was written inside the card. WebJonathan Ayers, 28-years-old, was a pastor at the Shoal Creek Baptist Church in Toccoa, Georgia. The person I blame in this whole thing is the person selling the drugs, Terrell said. Privacy Policy | She also received Defense attorney Shannon Demler said his client was trying to protect himself. 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. A total of 30 bullets were fired, and Navarro was shot 12 times. Several people working at the hospital told GBI investigators that Ayers told them he didn't know who shot him. Had war on drugs supporters learned a lesson from Navarros death, it is quite possible that the killings of the Rev. The complaint alleges that Officer Harrison, the cop who shot Ayers, wasn't even authorized to arrest him. 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. 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