Officer Aaron C. Smith has been charged with murder in the shooting death of unarmed 58-year-old black man Greg Gunn in Montgomery, Alabama. (County jail)
A white 23-year-old Montgomery, Alabama, police officer has been charged with murder in the February 2016 shooting of an unarmed black man.
Officer Aaron C. Smith, who also goes by A.C. Smith, was arrested Wednesday in the shooting death of 58-year-old Greg Gunn, the Montgomery Advertiser reports.
Smith is accused of shooting Gunn on February 25 as he walked in his neighborhood.
Here’s what you need to know about Smith, Gunn and the shooting:
1. There Was a Rash of Burglaries in the Area & Police Say Smith Thought Gunn Was ‘Suspicious’
Justice For #GregGunn
There was a rash of burglaries, as many as 23 reported recently before the shooting, in the neighborhood where Gunn was shot, according to the Montgomery Advertiser.
Officer Aaron C. Smith was on patrol when he saw Gunn, walking at about 3:20 a.m. He told investigators he thought Smith was “suspicious,” but what made him seem suspicious has not been clarified.
Smith got out of his car and approached Gunn and a “struggle” ensued before the shooting, according to WSFA-TV.
Police have not said how many times Gunn was shot.
2. Witnesses Say Gunn Screamed for Help & Called for His Mother Before He Was Shot by Smith, Who Says Gunn Had a ‘Stick’
Breaking: On the scene of an officer involved shooting in West Montgomery. Live report coming up @ALNewsNetwork
Gunn was in his own neighborhood, near his mother’s house, when the shooting occurred, his family says.
Smith claims Gunn had a stick during the encounter. Gunn’s neighbor, who lives at the home near where he was shot, told the Associated Press the stick was a paint roller extension handle that belonged to him.
Witnesses told the Montgomery Advertiser that Gunn screamed for help and called out for his mother before he was shot.
The Gunn family’s attorney, Tyrone Means, told Al.com that Gunn usually played in a regular card game the same night of the shooting after he got off work, and frequently walked to a friend’s house a few blocks away.
“Trayvon Martin was a black kid walking in a predominantly white neighborhood, and someone just thought he looked suspicious,” Means told AL.com. “Greg Gunn was in a community in which he was well-known and well-loved. That’s scary.”
3. The Department Says Smith Has Been an Officer for Less Than 4 Years
#Breaking: Here are #Montgomery County DA Daryl Bailey’s remarks on the charge filed against Ofc. Aaron Smith.
Smith has been with the Montgomery Police Department for less than four years, according to a press release.
His record within the department and other background information is not yet available, including whether he has a history of complaints or disciplinary action.
4.His Attorney Says Smith ‘Will Not Be Sacrificed on the Alter of Political Correctness’
BREAKING: MPD Officer Aaron Smith’s attny: “He will not be sacrificed on the alter of political correctness.” -Mickey McDermott @wsfa12news
Smith’s attorney, Mickey McDermott, told WSFA his client “will not be sacrificed on the alter of political correctness.”
At a press conference, Montgomery County District Attorney Daryl Bailey said, “”I will do everything in my power to protect a police officer who is operating within the law. I will also use every ounce of my power to prosecute a police officer who is acting outside of the law.”
5.He Is Being Held on $150,000 Bail & the Case Will Go Before a Grand Jury
Smith was taken into custody Wednesday and is being held on $150,000 bail.
The case will be brought before a grand jury, according to the Associated Press.
