This excerpt is from an article posted on the WNEG-TV website on Wednesday morning:
“An investigation is underway into the death of the pastor of a Lavonia church. Jonathan Ayers was shot by a member of the Stephens’ County Sheriff’s Office Tuesday afternoon and died later at Stephens County Hospital.”
“According to Stephens County Sheriff Randy Shirley, the Narcotics Unit of the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office was doing a drug buy at the Shell gas station at the corner of Broad and Currahee Streets.”
“Shirley says an officer shot the person involved in the drug transaction as the suspect fled the scene. The man then ran off the road and hit a tree.”
This next excerpt is from an article posted on the WNEG-TV website later that same day:
“Police are now saying that Jonathon Ayers was not the target of a drug investigation. That contradicts what WNEG was told by police on Tuesday.”
I wish the articles told us when it was learned that the incident had been recorded on video
Following are the news reports from the WNEG radio archives in chronological order. My comments at the bottom.
http://www.wnegradio.com/2009_09_01_archive-news.html
Downtown Drug Bust Leads To Shooting, One In Hospital, Officer Involved
9/01/2009
A drug investigation in Toccoa leads to a shooting and car accident that ends with the suspect in a local hospital.
The incident occurred just before 3 p.m. this afternoon (Tuesday).
Stephens County Sheriff Randy Shirley said the investigation revolves around two separate incidents that are directly related to one another.
“We, the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office, the GBI, and the Toccoa Police Department are investigating an officer-involved shooting,” said Shirley. “The NCIS team was doing a covert drug operation and an individual that was involved in the drug transaction was shot. This occurred at the Shell station at Broad and Currahee streets, and the suspect fled and hit a tree with his car. The suspect is at Stephens County Hospital with a gunshot wound in the right upper abdomen area. He is conscious and alert.”
The suspect, who remains unidentified but is described as a white male not from Stephens County, wrecked his vehicle at the intersection of Tugalo and Broad Streets in downtown Toccoa.
In addition, Shirley said the Georgia State Patrol is investigating the car accident.
The sheriff called it a rapidly developing situation.
“We do have witnesses other than the NCIS team that are being interviewed at this time at the courthouse by the GBI. We will not know more until we learn more of what occurred.”
Shirley also did not identify the law enforcement agent involved at this time.
9/02/2009
Reports indicate the victim in a law enforcement shooting yesterday in downtown Toccoa is dead.
Multiple reports into AM 630 WNEG News have identified the victim as Pastor Jonathan Ayers of Shoal Creek Baptist Church of Lavonia or Hartwell.
Those same reports indicate he died last night.
The incident started Tuesday afternoon, prior to 3 p.m., according to Stephens County Sheriff Randy Shirley.
“We, the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office, the GBI, and the Toccoa Police Department are investigating an officer-involved shooting,” said Shirley. “The NCIS team was doing a covert drug operation and an individual that was involved in the drug transaction was shot. This occurred at the Shell station at Broad and Currahee streets, and the suspect fled and hit a tree with his car. The suspect is at Stephens County Hospital with a gunshot wound in the right upper abdomen area. He is conscious and alert.”
Again though this morning, reports indicate the victim, identified in multiple reports as Pastor Jonathan Ayers of Shoal Creek Baptist Church, has died from the wounds suffered in the incident.
AM 630 WNEG will provide more information on this story as it becomes available.
9/03/2009
By MJ Kneiser
Meanwhile, members of Rev. Ayers’ Lavonia church are speaking out on his death.
Roger Shirley, a member of Shoal Creek, spoke on behalf of church members Wednesday morning in an interview. He said they were angry over initial allegations that Ayers was involved with drugs, saying that would not be the case.
According to Roger Shirley, Ayers was in Toccoa to buy tires for his wife’s car and he believes, Ayers was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“He had told us about it at church a day or two earlier,” said Roger Shirley. “He had gone to Toccoa to get new tires put on his wife’s car and from what I can understand; he was going to the ATM machine to get some money out to put tires on the car. There were two guys standing there, which I understand were undercover cops. I don’t know if he got scared or what, I would have. But, he went and got back in his car and then he was shot. It was a senseless killing of an innocent man.”
Shirley said church members are planning a prayer service but no firm time or date has been set.
Law Enforcement Speak On Ayers’ Shooting
9/03/2009
Authorities are now saying there is no connection between the victim in Tuesday’s fatal shooting in Toccoa and drugs.
At a press conference Wednesday, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Spokesman John Bankhead told an assembled crowd of media that the initial explanation provided for Lavonia pastor Jonathan Ayers’ connection to the incident was inaccurate.
“It was thought to be the case when it led up to what happened,” said Bankhead. “We later found out there was another circumstance that we cannot get into that led to the incident, not drugs.”
Bankhead was joined at the press conference by Stephens County Sheriff Randy Shirley and District Attorney Brian Rickman. The three provided more details about what allegedly transpired Tuesday on Broad Street, as well as where the GBI’s investigation goes from here.
Shirley provided a timeline of events that led to the fatal shooting of the pastor of Shoal Creek Baptist Church by law enforcement in Toccoa Tuesday.
The sheriff said agents with the Mountain Judicial Circuit NCIS Team were conducting a drug-related investigation and monitoring the target of that case Tuesday afternoon.
“The target was seen meeting with the deceased and at one point, getting out of the car of the deceased,” said Shirley.
The meeting between the target and Ayers ended, according to Shirley, and agents followed Ayers.
“Agents went to the Shell station, got out, and identified themselves as police and asked him to open the door,” said the sheriff. “Ayers did not open the door. Again, they identified themselves as police and Ayers backed into one of the agents in reverse and then pulled his vehicle forward in a fast motion towards the agent, at which time, the agent fired two shots into the automobile.”
At that point, Ayers drove away and wrecked at the intersection of Tugalo and Broad Streets. He was taken and later died at Stephens County Hospital.
Now, the GBI is investigating and Bankhead said the agency will talk to witnesses and process the evidence.
“We want to make sure that it is thorough and it takes as long as it takes to collect all of the information that we know is out there, so the District Attorney will have as much information as he can have to make the appropriate decision,” said Bankhead.
District Attorney Rickman echoed Bankhead, saying the case will take time.
“Obviously, when you have a tragic event like we have had, people want answers immediately and we have to let agents do their job and not operate on rumor and innuendo, but get to the facts of exactly what happened,” said Rickman.
No timeline was given for completing the investigation.
Video From Gas Station On Ayers Incident
9/03/2009
Below is the surveillance video from the Shell Station dated Tuesday afternoon in reference to the shooting of Rev. Jonathan Ayers:
9/04/2009
Meanwhile, authorities have yet to release the name of the initial target of the investigation.
According to GBI Spokesman John Bankhead, the female subject has been arrested on unspecified drug charges, but would say nothing more in connection to the target.
Furthermore, the agents involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave as the investigation into the fatal shooting continues
9/04/2009
Funeral services are set for this afternoon for Rev. Jonathan Ayers.
Services will start at 2 p.m. at Shoal Creek Baptist Church in Lavonia. Burial will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery in Gainesville, Georgia.
Strickland Funeral Home-Lavonia Chapel is in charge of the arrangements for the late Shoal Creek Baptist Church pastor, who was killed by law enforcement in a fatal shooting Tuesday in Toccoa.
Authorities claim the shooting stemmed from a drug investigation by the Mountain Judicial Circuit NCIS Team. However, authorities have also said Ayers had no connections to drugs, only stating there were other circumstances that related him to the investigation.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is leading an investigation into the shooting.
Ayers was 28 years old and is survived by a wife and sister.
It wasn’t until the presser (AFTER the video was released) that we ‘learn’ it was a drug and prostitution sting. The inference is, of course, the pastor might have been a john. I am not saying the pastor could not have been a flawed man, but I doubt it. They have been too quick to point out the involvement in the other matter, but quickly say they cannot discuss it. ““We later found out there was another circumstance that we cannot get into that led to the incident, not drugs.”
It should be pointed ut that the Mountain Judicial Circuit NCIS Team is new (since August) formed by Brian Rickman, District Attorney Rickman. I know nothing about him, just not sure if he would be the best one to make decisions out of a concern of conflict of interest.
It will be messy no matter how you slice it. I would love to know who was Sheriff Randy Shirley’s source of information. He has had to do some serious back pedaling. I don’t know much about him either, so right now I am giving him the benefit of the doubt that he just reported what he was told.
Lastly, to read these reports one would think the agents were casually waiting at the pumps and then politely tapped on the windows.
That is not what I see on the tape.
I hope a report can be issued quickly. This is not the type of thing that needs to fester.
(sorry so long)