An Arkansas sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a 17-year-old male during a traffic stop early Wednesday, but authorities aren’t saying what led to the fatal shooting.
The Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office said it has turned the investigation of the shooting that occurred at about 3 a.m. over to Arkansas State Police. State police say the circumstances of the traffic stop and what led to the deputy to fire his gun at Hunter Brittain “will be documented in the investigation.”
Brittain was driving the truck that was stopped by the deputy, state police said.
The shooting occurred outside an auto repair shop along Arkansas Highway 89 south of Cabot, state police said. Cabot, a city of about 26,000 people, is located about 30 miles northeast of Little Rock.
State police said Brittain was from McRae, a city of about 700 located about 15 miles northeast of Cabot.
Later Wednesday, the sheriff’s office identified the deputy as Sgt. Michael Davis, who has been with the sheriff’s office since 2013.
The sheriff’s office says Davis will be on administrative leave pending the outcome of the state police’s investigation.
Brittain was transported to a North Little Rock hospital, where he later died.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that state police had initially spelled the teen’s name as Britain, but later confirmed it was spelled Brittain.
