Sun Herald: “The 2008 shooting death of a Billey Joe Johnson Jr., a Black star athlete at George County High School, following a traffic stop by a white officer is back in the spotlight.
Johnson’s death has been the subject of scrutiny and cries for justice for over a decade. His case is now being featured in The Center For Investigative Reporting’s Reveal podcast called “Mississippi Goddam: The Ballad of Billey Joe.
The Sun Herald first reported on how the 17-year-old running back died of a gunshot wound to the head in the moments after a white George County deputy stopped him on Dec. 8, 2008, for allegedly running a stop sign and traffic light. Authorities initially ruled his death a suicide, but a grand jury later determined the only plausible explanation for his death was that it was an accidental shooting.”