Last week, Sammie “Junebug” Davis, Jr. was shot and killed by a Macon police officer in the parking lot of a Kroger grocery store. Why the shooting happened is anyone’s guess—the Macon Police Department keeps changing its story and is providing little clarity as tempers over the death rage on.
Originally, MPD said Officer Clayton Sutton was serving a warrant on Junebug when things got out of control and a “struggle ensued”, according to NewsCentral. But later it was found that he had no warrant on him at all.
Then, the department said Officer Sutton was responding to a “service call” when the altercation took place. It should be noted that Davis was unarmed at the time of his shooting and subsequent death.
Davis’ family and community members have rallied in support of the man and called for the firing and imprisonment of Officer Sutton. As for their part, the MPD has refused to say why there are conflicting statements coming from their office and will not say what led to the shooting.
As for any fight that Davis may have offered, his family say that wasn’t his style, saying he was as “meek as a lamb and would never hurt anyone, let alone pose a threat to a Macon police officer.”
For his part, however, Sutton has a lengthy list of troubles since joining the police department over six years ago. In all, he has 26 complaints against him, including:
- Shooting a dog that was tied to a porch
- Using excessive force to pull a woman from her car and to the ground
- Harassing a woman at home about a bad check, telling her to pay him the cash to cover it or risk immediate arrest
- Taking $200 from a woman’s purse during a traffic stop
- Putting his gun in a man’s face during a traffic stop and then executing a warrantless search without consent
- Hitting a woman and her granddaughter with his patrol car after neighborhood residents said he was “terrorizing” the community
What penalties has he faced? Little if any. The greatest punishment was a 1 day suspension for trying to elicit cash from the woman who wrote a bad check. Otherwise, the majority of complaints were resolved with “no further action”.
Macon community members are worried that the recent shooting of Junebug Davis will result in “no further action” and rightfully so. When the police department seems more concerned with protecting troubled cops that ensuring a safe community, distrust is inevitable.
If you’ve been arrested and accused of a crime, it’s not unusual to feel like the police have it out for you, that you can’t possibly get fair treatment under the law. But, with the help of a local criminal defense lawyer, your rights can be protected. Contact our offices today to discuss your case and how we might be able to help.
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