LaJeromeny Brown trial in jury deliberations after two days of testimony and arguments

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - On Friday, it will be up to 12 jurors to decide between three possible convictions for the man accused of shooting and killing Huntsville STAC Agent Billy Clardy III in 2019.

LaJeromeny Brown is currently facing a capital murder charge as he heads into day three of the trial but the jury has the option to change that charge to either felony murder or manslaughter.

A conviction of capital murder is a life sentence, with the death penalty on the table. Felony murder can also be a life sentence, but it means the jury believes Brown did not intend to kill Clardy. Manslaughter would come with a sentence of two years to as many as 20 years in prison.

Thursday, jurors heard testimony from Brown himself saying he had no idea he shot an officer. It’s not often you have a capital murder trial where the defendant takes the stand but in a potentially life-or-death-sentence situation, Brown made the decision to address the jury.

During his testimony, he was adamant that he shot a Huntsville STAC agent in self-defense.

The drug deal involved Brown carrying 100 pounds of marijuana to a vacant home. Brown testified that he thought he was being robbed.

He says he never saw a face, a police vest and that Clardy never identified himself as a Huntsville police officer. He also offered an emotional apology to the Clardy family as well as his own.

Prosecutors argue Brown had every intention to kill Clardy from the start and there was no way Brown was unprepared for an encounter with police.

In a presentation to the jury, they showed the trajectory of each bullet fired from Brown’s gun, arguing it had been fired in two separate instances. They also disparaged Brown’s apology during his testimony, amounting it to the public relations spin for a celebrity caught in a scandal.

WAFF 48 News will continue to cover the courtroom, bringing you the verdict when the jury comes to their decision.

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