NEWS ADVISORY FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Scotty Boman, D.R.A.C.O. Founder (Event organizer)
Phone: (313) 247-2052 [Voice Only] Texting Phone: (313) 338-9769 [Text Only]
ScottyEducation@yahoo.comDraco.Life
Ashley Smith, victim’s sister
Phone: (254) 290-7303
justice4sheldy@gmail.com
Lory Parks, National Action Network
Phone: (313) 492-6774
January 12th, 2021
Community Members: “Accountability for Dewayne Jones” & “Justice for Sheldy!”
When: 10:45 AM to 12:10 PM EDT. Wednesday January 12th.
Where: 36th District Court building 421 Madison Street. Detroit, MI 48226.
Why now? Dewayne Jones has a pretrial hearing at 11:00 AM
Detroit, MI – Members of Detroit Residents Advancing Civilian Oversight (DRACO), and others, will be holding a News conference, promptly at 10:45 AM this Wednesday, to express their displeasure with the injustice surrounding the August 2018 beating of hospital patient Sheldy Smith by then-Corporal Dewayne B. Jones. Community members will continue to picket outside the courthouse until after Noon.
Jones was convicted of assault and battery in connection with the beating, but received a promotion to the rank of Sergeant by the Detroit Police Department. His penalty for the assault was probation, but he could still be tried for a felony misconduct charge because it was dismissed without prejudice on January 15th 2019. Activists are calling on the Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy to reintroduce those charges given the large amount of video evidence that surfaced, and the fact that Jones still had a badge and a gun while on probation.
On April 21st 2021 Jones was granted a new trial. On Wednesday January 12th Dewayne Jones will have a pre-trial hearing in the courtroom of Judge E. Lynise Bryant at 11:00 AM. His new trial will be on February 22nd.
“Dewayne Jones was able to get a promotion in spite of being a convicted violent criminal. In spite of the conviction he wasn’t held accountable. Now he is trying to be exonerated while his victim (Sheldy Smith) remains captive and isolated from her family. This isn’t justice,” Said Boman. “The DPD contract is up for renewal. It is essential that the Board of Police Commissioners make it a matter of policy that the DPD insists on a clause, in the new contract, barring usurpation of the BOPC’s authority to be the final word on promotions.”
The actual hearing may be virtual, but concerned community members will still meet and protest outside the 36th District Court building. Organizers feel it can be the symbolic location of the hearing, which is scheduled to be held in the “Court room” of Honorable E. Lynise Bryant on Wednesday, January 12th, 2021 at 11:00 AM. This is a “Pre-trial Hearing” for Case No. 1806106901. Dewayne Berran Jones. Assault and battery case. Anyone can look up the court schedule here: https://www.36thdistrictcourt.org/online-services/case-inquiry-schedule
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Detroit Residents Advancing Civilian Oversight 