Pubdate: Thu, 24 Dec 2009 Source: Franklin County Citizen (GA) Copyright: 2009 Franklin County Citizen Contact: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5111 Website: http://www.franklincountycitizen.com/ Author: Denise Matthews Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Jonathan+Ayers (Rev. Jonathan Ayers) GRAND JURY DECREES AYER'S SHOOTING JUSTIFIED The shooting death of Shoal Creek Baptist Minister Jonathan Ayers on Sept. 1, was deemed "legally justified" by a specially convened Stephens County Grand Jury Dec. 18. This verdict was handed down after three days of testimony with six witnesses and the entire investigative file of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), which included a five volume case file consisting of 92 exhibits including incident reports, investigative summmaries, crime laboratory reports, search warrants, property receipts, 911 records, medical records, personnel files and other documents, 26 compact discs, and three digital versatile discs. The grand jury found that the use of deadly force by Agent Billy Shane Harrison was legally justified based upon his belief that such use of force was necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or others. The grand jury also found, based upon the evidence, that the officers involved in the incident would be immune from criminal prosecution pursuant to Official Code of Georgia Annotated S16-3-24-2. Jurors heard conflicting testimonies, such as that from Kayla Barrett, the woman who was reportedly in the vehicle with Ayers before the shooting. Barrett stated that she had got drugs from Shawn Dooley that she gave to Deputy Commander Chance Oxner of the Mountain Judicial NCIS Team and she and Oxner had walked to an Exxon station on Currahee Street to buy cigarettes. They had left the store and were walking by a Goodyear store when she got in the vehicle with "Jay," (Ayers) who was driving a red Honda. Barrett said she borrowed $20 from him to pay her rent at the Relax Inn and he dropped her off at the office at the Relax Inn. Barrett said as far as she knew "Jay" did not do any kind of drugs. Jurors also heard testimony from Phillis Brown, another witness to the incident who said she was walking up Broad Street and could see the Shell Station. She said she heard two gunshots and saw two white men, wearing white T-shirts, running towards the underpass. Brown stated that one of the men ran at the fire department and one kept running straight. She said her mother pulled up and she got in the vehicle with her and as she drove past the wrecked vehicle she saw a man was shot. Another witness, James Dale Watkins stated he had also witnessed the shooting. Watkins stated that he was driving to the Shell station to get gas when he observed a red Honda in the center of the parking lot. Watkins said he then heard an undercover police officer yellin, "Hold it, stop, I'm a police office," and saw the officer standing at the side of the red Honda. Watkins said he then saw the Honda pull forward and swerve toward the officer in an attempt to hit the officer with his vehicle, and then swerve to hit the officer with his front fender. At that point, Watkins said he saw the undercover officer fire his weapon twice at the vehicle. Watkins stated the the Honda pulled out of the parking lot and the undercover officer ran out behind it. Watkins then drove his truck behind the officer running after the Honda and offered him a ride, which the officer declined. The officer did borrow Watkins' cell phone. Watkins said he then saw the officer run across the road to where the Honda had wrecked because he saw the driver attempting to crank up the vehicle again in what looked to him as an attempt to drive away. Watkins said he only saw the one officer that fired the shots and never saw the other officer. He said that the undercover officer only fired his weapon after the individual in the red Honda had cut his wheels to knock him down. These are just three summaries of the many testimonies and pages of evidence that jurors heard and sorted through. In addition, the grand jury was also advised by District Attorney Brian Rickman that he had asked two outside district attorneys, Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter and Mountain Circuit District Attorney Emeritus Mike Crawford to review the matter. Each appeared before the grand jury to answer questions concerning legal issues and for their review of the investigation of the matter. Since Ayer's death there have been numerous vigils in his honor and a monument dedicated to him at the church where he ministered, Shoal Creek Baptist in Hart County. He leaves behind a wife and unborn child and a host of family members. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D