Stephens County sheriff Randy Shirley has placed both officers involved in the incident on paid administrative leave, he said. When they broke in, Johnston (who lived alone in a high-crime area of the city and kept a gun in her house for protection) assumed she was being the victim of a home invasion and fired a shot. Rev. Perhaps we shouldnt be all that surprised that a sheriff who sees drug suspects as terrorists also oversees a drug task force that has now killed an innocent pastor and burned a two-year-old child. Required fields are marked *. The Rev. In the end, Ayers was innocent, and a federal jury awarded his widow a $2 million settlement. 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. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. She also received 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. Some of the officers claimed that Paz appeared to be going for a gun, and they fatally shot him twice in the back in front of his wife. 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. One such victim was 22-year-old Pedro Oregon Navarro. Yards down the street, Ayers car jumped a curb and hit a tree. Stan Turpin of Clarksville, about 15 miles from Toccoa, is another outspoken critic of the investigation. 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. Jonathan Andrew Barley was booked Saturday night into the Cache County Jail. But the raid itself was conducted by the Habersham County Special Response Team. So its hard to argue they cared much either, at least not enough to let the kids safety trump the safety of the officers, or the need to get into the home quickly to prevent any evidence from being destroyed so they can preserve their conviction. The complaint alleges that Officer Harrison, the cop who shot Ayers, wasn't even authorized to arrest him. Heres the blurry video from the Convenience store showing officers shooting at him as he drives away. 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 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. Another then opened fire, LOGAN A 29-year-old Ogden man has been arrested for allegedly shooting at a group of teenagers in Providence Canyon. Roland Stroberg, the attorney representing Ayers widow, said the family was "extremely disappointed," and that a lawsuit would be forthcoming. And while Johnston was lying on the floor dying, Smith handcuffed her. Harrison fired shots, and one struck Ayers in the abdomen. The police claimed they announced themselves, but it isn't difficult to see how Ayersor anyone elsemight have been confused in the commotion. Wilson, a single mother, had been romantically involved with a suspected drug dealer named Anthony Terry (who later pled guilty to selling drugs). The 14-second incident has split this otherwise pro-law enforcement corner of the state. 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. 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. Undercover narcotics officers who had been trailing Barrett suspected that she was selling crack cocaine, and when Ayers gave her $23, they began trailing Ayers. And all three of them pled guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to violate her civil rights. They were in plain clothes. 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. The two said they thought the driver of the burgundy Honda may have been her drug source. The Jonathan Ayers story was already outrageous enough. WebAyers, attempting to leave the scene, was shot by Harrison. | 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. Jonathan Ayers was a pastor at the Shoal Creek Baptist Church. So did the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. ", The incident was caught on the gas station's surveillance camera. 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. 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. 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. Enter your email below to start! Rodolfo Rudy Cardenas; San Jose, California, 2004. Same illogical cowardice outlawing hemp candy or shooting A federal jury in Gainesville, Ga., said a reasonable officer would have realized that Ayers' He shouldn't have been killed," Turpin told the AJC. 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. Watch surveillance video of Ayers' car hitting officer . 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). Lgende: Administrateurs, Les Brigades du Tigre, Les retraits de la Brigade, 726791 message(s) 35337 sujet(s) 30093 membre(s) Lutilisateur enregistr le plus rcent est jocer, Quand on a un tlviseur avec TNT intgre, Quand on a un tlviseur et un adaptateur TNT, Technique et technologie de la tlvision par cble, Rglement du forum et conseils d'utilisation. Au total il y a 112 utilisateurs en ligne :: 3 enregistrs, 0 invisible et 109 invits (daprs le nombre dutilisateurs actifs ces 3 dernires minutes)Le record du nombre dutilisateurs en ligne est de 850, le 05 Avr 2016 19:55 Utilisateurs enregistrs: Google [Bot], Senuphile, Yahoo [Bot] But critics say that is when Harrison pulled his gun. "Based upon this finding, we the Grand Jury believe that the officers involved in this incident would be immune from criminal prosecution pursuant to Official Code of Georgia Annotated 16-3-24.2.". Harrison was ordered to post a $2.9 million bond while his attorneys appeal this most recent judgment. Ayers told hospital staff was that he thought he was being robbed. By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism. Ayers maintained a blog, in which he wrote that he had three loves in life: "Jesus Christ, my wife Abby, and the Church.". According to Ayerss lawsuit, the woman was about to be evicted from the motel at which she was staying. WebShooting a commercial for emagine theater that will be played at every theater across the country before every movie they play..awesome Jump to Sections of this page So those fair investigations that went to extraordinary lengths failed to discover that the cop who shot Ayers not only had prior disciplinary problems, but also he wasnt even legally authorized to be a cop, much less carry a gun. 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. In my post on Ayers, I noted how little professional accountability there had been for the death of Jonathan Ayers. WebThe incident happened about 5:15 a.m. in a home near 1600 West and Center Street. Pedro Oregon Navarro; Houston, Texas, 1998. In hostage situations, for example, a SWAT team can save lives. 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. Abigail Marilyn Ayers was originally awarded $2.3 million in damages and expenses by a jury in February. He then put the car in drive and accelerated forward, nearly striking Billy Shane Harris, an agent for the Mountain Narcotics Criminal Investigation & Suppression Team. Toccoa is about 95 miles northeast of Atlanta. 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. A cafeteria-style restaurant leads this list of 12 popular spots, SPONSORED: See the Great Smoky Mountains in style. Wilson, however, was in one of the bedrooms; when Chavalia fired shots into that bedroom, she was killed. Authorities have identified a man accused of standing on Interstate 71 northbound and shooting at vehicles Friday morning near the Gemini Place interchange. Other members . 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. Rickman was unavailable for comment Friday. 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? Shes the widow of Jonathan Ayers, a Northeast Georgia pastor fatally shot by then-Stephens County Deputy Billy Shane Harrison in September 2009. All rights reserved. He could face up to 15 year in prison, if convicted. A cafeteria-style restaurant leads this list of 12 popular spots, SPONSORED: See the Great Smoky Mountains in style. Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. The police were trailing Barrett at the time. No drugs were found in her house. He had just gotten $20 from an ATM machine and thought they wanted to rob him. The grand jury also heard from Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter and former Stephens County District Attorney Mike Crawford. The defense said Harrison has only a $1 million insurance policy through Stephens County. "They will suffer the consequences.". They followed him to a gas station where he stopped to withdraw money from an ATM machine. Mario Paz; El Monte, California, 1999. After GeorgiasMountain Judicial Circuit Narcotics Criminal Investigation and Suppression Team burned a toddler with a flashbang grenade during a drug raid on Wednesday, Habersham County Sheriff Joey Terrell told Access North Georgia: Of course, Terrells task force didnt even know there was a child in the home. 5. Ayers gave her the $23 in his pocket to help cover her rent. 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. The undercover officers wanted to question Ayers about what they had just seen, he said. Kathryn Johnston; Atlanta, Georgia, 2006. 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. Jonathan Ayers had taken money out of an ATM in the convenience store and was beginning to pull out of the parking lot when Harrison, along with other deputies dressed in plainclothes, according to court documents, approached him. All rights reserved. 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 subject kept going and drove off," Bankhead said. So maybe we should take Rickmans quick assessment of this weeks raid with a grain of salt. | 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. He put his car in reverse and attempted to escape. The man that Harrison, a Stephens County sheriff's deputy, killed in downtown Toccoa was Jonathan Ayers a young, popular preacher who had inadvertently stepped into an undercover drug investigation. On August 9, 1999, 64-year-old Mario Paz was in his home in Southern California when up to 20 narcotics officers for the city of El Monte conducted a no-knock raid and used a grenade during the attack. 10. Until we're ready to dispense with the notion that gun-toting cops in ski masks going commando at a public gas station is an appropriate response to an alleged $50 drug transaction, we're going to see a lot more Jonathan Ayerses. One other law enforcement official was fired for lying about the training. 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 grand jury hearing was the most one-sided miscarriage of justice that I have ever heard of. Let's say that you (which would include 99 percent of the people reading this) aren't a drug dealer, or a mobster, or some other sort of career criminal. If the story ended there, it would merely be enough to boil your blood. Ayers left behind a wife, Abigail, who at the time of his death was pregnant with her first child. Police said they later observed a white male in a red Honda Civic give the woman money. 8. The officers were undercover, dressed in shabby clothes and ski-mask caps. 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. Hall school board approves $11M for giant classroom touchscreens. 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. 3.1.2023 12:01 AM, 2022 Reason Foundation | In the end, the jury decided the shooting was justified. 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. Heres when your childs school will get one. Mike Franklin with The Torch, the Church of God located in Demorest, Ga., knows Harrison and Oxner and also knew Ayers. Ayers widow, Abby Ayers, lives in Gainesville and has retained a local attorney in the case. Another then opened fire, killing him. Around 6:10am on May 16, 2003, officers executed a no-knock drug raid on Spruills apartment based on bad information they had received from an informant/alleged drug dealer. Judge OKs $832K in legal fees in preacher shooting case, Damages awarded to widow cut to $1.6 million, SPONSORED: How to start a hiking, backpacking habit in 2022. Accelyne Williams; Boston, 1994. In a civil suit, Johnstons family was awarded a $490,000 settlement. A jury awarded Abigail Ayers $2.3 million, but a judge reduced the amount to $1.64 million after reassessing lost wages. The police found no illicit drugs in his car, and there was no trace of any illegal substance in his body. Local law enforcement knew sorting out the shooting would be difficult. 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. 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. 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.. The badges they had hanging from their necks, seen in this photo, were far from conspicuous. For three days in December, a grand jury was presented with the interviews and watched the video. In September 2009, the young pastor Ayers was ministering to a young woman whom a Georgia drug task force was investigating on drug charges. 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, When they approached to question him, Ayers reportedly tried to flee and his car struck one of the officers. 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. 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. WebLooking for Jonathan Ayers online? A total of 30 bullets were fired, and Navarro was shot 12 times. The decision to raid the Paz home, according to Ankeny, was made after narcotics officers found some bills and Department of Motor Vehicle records containing the familys address among the possessions of a drug suspect named Marcos Beltrn. Those were bad. 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. AlthoughChavalia was acquitted of criminal charges, Wilsons family was awarded $2.5 million in 2010 in a civil lawsuit against the city of Lima. These allegations have since been confirmed by local TV station WSBTV and, after the fact, by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. But in the drug war, the combination of SWAT teams, no-knock raids and sloppy police work can have deadly consequences for innocent people. He wasnt authorized to make arrests or to carry a gun. He suggested allowing a grand jury to investigate further about possible policy violations or civil liability. | Shortly after he got back into his car, a black Escalade tore into the parking lot. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is looking into the shooting. 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. 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. Family members said he asked who shot him and said he had done nothing wrong. They followed the car as Ayers dropped the woman off at a gas station. 3.1.2023 4:00 AM, John Stossel No one was disciplined for the actual killing of Ayers. Ayers continued to drive, fleeing the parking lot for about a thousand yards before eventually crashing his car. But with the war on drugs, the concept of innocent until proven guilty has fallen by the wayside on countless occasions. 2023 Baptist News Global. 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. "The community reaction has been mostly negative," said the Rev. "People are so ramped up and emotional," Mike Ayers of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation told the AJC. Accessibility | WebAfter Ayers tried to drive past the descending officers, Harrison shot and killed him. Several people working at the hospital told GBI investigators that Ayers told them he didn't know who shot him. Rickman also cleared the cops in the Ayers case. Ayers was shot in the liver and later died in a hospital operating room. 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. The pastor, understandably, attempted to escape. Last September, Ayers, a 28-year-old Baptist pastor from Lavonia, Georgia, was gunned down by a North Georgia narcotics task force in the parking lot of a gas station. The Rev. 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