DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — A Douglas County grand jury has decided not to charge a deputy who shot a man who was stuck in a rolled-over car following a pursuit last year.
Court documents showed that the grand jury made its decision on June 26, 2024. However, 36-year-old Cameron Hunt's attorney released several clips of body camera video of the encounter to 11Alive and announced plans to sue. His attorney did not release a full video of body camera footage.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, it all started when deputies began to pursue Hunt, who was accused of speeding on Interstate 20 on November 19, 2023.
Hunt's attorney, Graham Scofield, told 11Alive that Hunt was driving his mother's car to fill it up with gas. Scofield said the 36-year-old admitted to speeding and not pulling over initially. Scofield added that Hunt told him that he was afraid and anxious and was going to get off on the Thornton Road exit for the deputies.
According to an incident report from the sheriff's office, deputies clocked Hunt allegedly driving at speeds of over 113 miles per hour in a 70 miles per hour speed zone.
As he tried to get onto the exit, he was driving too fast and ended up rolling over into a ditch, crashing the car.
Scofield sent 11Alive several video clips of the incident from several body cameras of different deputies, including the deputy who fired the shot and the deputy who was with him. According to Scofield and a conversation among deputies shortly after the shooting that can be heard in the videos, the deputy who allegedly shot Hunt was new to the job and had "just started."
In one of the body camera videos that is three minutes long, the deputies can be seen pulling up to the accident scene and getting out of the patrol car. A deputy who responded to the scene with the deputy who fired the shot is seen having his gun drawn, yelling "hands" to the driver in the car that was turned over on its roof.
As they walk closer to the vehicle, the same deputy begins to ask, "Can you hear me? Is anyone else in the car?" Muffled yelling can be heard coming from the vehicle.
In the video, the car's airbags are deployed, making it hard to see inside. The same deputy radios dispatch and tells them he cannot see into the car, stating he thought Hunt was in the back seat. He then opens the passenger door of the vehicle halfway through the video. He continues to say "hands."
The other deputy that's there also says the same.
"Show me your hands, show me your hands," both deputies scream before a shot is fired.
Another body camera video shows the shooting from a different point of view, where a single gunshot can be heard as a deputy runs to the scene. He then radios "shots fired, shots fired."
In the bodycam video, you can hear a responding deputy at the scene ask the one who fired his gun, "Why you shoot?"
"He went like this," the deputy who fired the shot said, motioning his hand upward and downward in a fast motion.
In the video, Hunt is then seen getting out of the car after the deputy says, "Lower your hands."
"Are you hit?" a deputy questioned. Hunt replied with "yes."
Hunt was then pulled out of the car. Deputies reach for a tourniquet to tie his arm. Deputies ask him questions about his medical history. They tell him to relax and let him know it's going to hurt as they place the tourniquet on Hunt.
Throughout one of the videos, Hunt can be heard telling a deputy that he felt pain in his heart as he cried out. Deputies cut open his shirt and tried to turn him over in the video to see where the pain might be coming from.
According to Scofield, the bullet pierced his left shoulder, proceeding to travel through his chest cavity.
Scofield also provided records to 11Alive, stating that a bullet fragment traveled over "the left heart border." He also added his client had experienced several infections while in custody and that the bullet was still in his body because the fragment was too close to his heart.
Deputies also discussed their concerns over the deputy shooting Hunt, saying, "It was empty hands." After the shooting, authorities spoke with the deputy who shot Hunt, who seemed to be frantic and panicking.
"It was just too quick of a motion. I told him to stop," the deputy who shot Hunt said.
"I saw that part when he had his hands out, and he went back in. That's when I said, show me your hands," the second deputy who was there said the video.
"And he jerked back up," the deputy who fired the shots responded. "Am I in trouble?"
"We were in two different positions. I don't know what you saw," the second deputy later said in one of the videos.
The original incident report stated that Hunt was cited with driving while his license was suspended, operating a motor vehicle approaching an emergency vehicle, speeding, reckless driving, fleeing, and failing to maintain the lane.
But, Douglas County Jail records show that he is in jail for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer related to this incident.
The incident report that was filed at the time did not state that a firearm was found in the car.
Scofield told 11Alive that deputies told him days later, after Hunt's arrest, that they found a long-barrel rifle. It's unclear exactly when and where deputies located the gun at this time.
Hunt's lawyer added that he plans to file a lawsuit within the next 30 to 60 days on his client's behalf.
According to Scofield, a trial on Hunt's criminal charges stemming from the episode is tentatively scheduled for August 13.
It's unclear if the deputy still works for the sheriff's office at this time.
The Douglas County District Attorney's Office released the following statement:
As with all officer involved shootings in Douglas County, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation investigated this matter and provided our office with a case file. Our office thoroughly reviewed the investigation and presented the case for the grand jury’s consideration. The District Attorney’s Office presented the totality of the evidence to the grand jury, including calling witnesses and footage of the incident. The grand jury voted to no bill the case and their vote is the conclusion of the matter.
11Alive reached out to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office for a response to the recent activity in this case. They stated that they had no comment on the case.