Grand jury hears evidence in athlete’s death
Published 1:07 am Wednesday, February 11, 2009
A George County grand jury has begun hearing testimony in the Dec. 8 shooting death of a high school football star.
Authorities have said 17-year-old Billey Joe Johnson died after being stopped by a deputy for running a red light in Lucedale. Law enforcement records have shown that Johnson had been identified as a suspect in an attempted break-in moments before the traffic stop.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation has gathered evidence in the probe.
Johnson’s mother, Annette, and Curley Clark, president of a Gulf Coast chapter of the NAACP, were among those subpoenaed to testify on Monday.
Johnson was a junior running back at George County High was considered a top potential college football recruit.
Johnson’s family and the NAACP are conducting independent investigations of his death.