Arkansas deputy fired for failing to activate body camera during shooting that led to teen's death

An Arkansas sheriff fired one of his deputies for failing to activate his body camera prior to a shooting that resulted in the death of a teenager. 

Sgt. Michael Davis allegedly shot 17-year-old Hunter Brittain during a traffic stop on June 23. He was taken to a North Little Rock hospital, where he died from his injuries. 

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Davis failed to activate his body camera, meaning the incident was not recorded. Many people gathered outside of the sheriff’s office after the incident, demanding the release of any footage, WBTW reported. 

Any footage of the aftermath has yet to be released due to the independent investigation by the Arkansas State Police and the prosecuting attorney. 

Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley on Thursday posted a video statement on Facebook in which he repeatedly cited the need for transparency in his decision-making process regarding the incident. 

"I gave my deputies body cameras," Staley said. "I directed them to use the body cameras properly: Our policy says that the deputy must activate the camera before encountering any member of the public or before taking official action, and certainly as part of any traffic stop."

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"My review of this deputy’s actions has determined that he did not activate his body camera in a timely way," Staley explained. "This means there’s no video of the actual shooting: We see the aftermath, but not the shooting." 

He also called out "activists" on social media who have been "irresponsible" by making "hateful statements." 

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Staley ended the video with a call for peace and patience as the investigation continued. 

The Lonoke County Sheriff's Office did not respond to a Fox News request for comment.