Sentencing deliberations continued Thursday morning in the case of LaJeromeny Brown, the man who killed Huntsville Police officer Billy Clardy in December 2019.
Brown, 45, of Chattanooga, Tenn., was convicted of capital murder after a two-week trial.
The jurors now must decide if Brown gets the death penalty or life in prison without parole.
Clardy, an Army veteran who joined HPD in 2005, was killed while conducting a narcotics operation. He was part of a drug task force, and agents set up a drug sting. He stepped onto the porch of the house where the operation was taking place and was shot multiple times outside the scope of his bulletproof vest.
The on-duty death happened 41 years after his father, Billy Fred Clardy II, died in the line of duty with HPD. The elder Clardy was involved in a crash.
During the trial, Fox 54 News reported that Clardy's widow took the stand, saying lighting isn't supposed to strike twice in the same place, but it did for their family.
Brown has a criminal background, including a drug trafficking conviction. His prior record cannot be considered in the sentencing phase as an aggravated circumstance.
The Alabama Legislature passed the "Billy Clardy III Act" following Clardy's death. The law allows law enforcement to request wiretapping during drug investigations. State Rep. Rex Reynolds (R-Huntsville), who sponsored the bill, said wiretapping could prevent deadly incidents in the future.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
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