Johnson Grand Jury Says Death Accidental

Tim Doherty of the Hattiesburg American newspaper followed the grand jury deliberation in the death of a 17-year-old football player. Billey Joe Johnson had been pulled over for a December traffic violation and died from a shotgun blast from within his own vehicle.

The decision was announced this afternoon in the town of Lucedale. The December 8 shooting occurred when Johnson tried to move the 12-gauge shotgun in the cab of his truck, the grand jury determined.

The grand jury forewoman read the nine-page report to a packed courtroom that was ringed with heavy security from state troopers, George County deputies and Lucedale police officers.

Deputy Joe Sullivan said Johnson shot himself with a 12-gauge shotgun while Sullivan was at his patrol car conducting a driver’s license check. But Johnson's family and the NAACP don’t believe he would have shot himself on purpose.

“The only plausible and scientific explanation for this incident is the Sears & Roebuck shotgun accidentally discharged as Billey Joe Johnson Jr. was attemping to move the shotgun in the cab portion of his truck,” the grand jury report said. The grand jury also said Deputy Sullivan could not have been involved in Johnson’s death.

While Sullivan had gun residue on both his hands, according to scientific testing, the results indicated the residue was consisent with him handling his service revolver.

“The grand jury finds that Deputy Sullivan could not have killed Billey Joe Johnson Jr. without considerable blood getting on his person,” the grand jury said. Lab tests “conclusively prove he did not kill Billey Joe Johnson Jr.,” the grand jury said.

The initial report released by the George County Sheriff's Department and the district attorney was that the fatal wound was self-inflicted. Authorities said a self-inflicted wound can be either intentional or unintentional. The grand jury met earlier this week and interviewed around 35 witnesses. District Attorney Tony Lawrence had briefed Johnson’s family on the report before it was made public.

Team coverage from WLOX-TV is below...


Patrice Clark's family sidebar is next with reaction from the local NAACP chapter...


The grand jury statement and the DA statement can be found in black...