JURY TO HEAR AYERS CASE DEC. 15

The Stephens County Grand Jury will convene on Tuesday, Dec. 15 to
hear evidence in the law enforcement officer-involved shooting death
of an area pastor.

Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney Brian Rickman will
present evidence to grand jurors for their review regarding the Sept.
1 shooting of Jonathon Ayers.

Ayers was pastor of Shoal Creek Baptist Church near Lavonia.

Evidence will include a lengthy report compiled by the Georgia Bureau
of Investigation (GBI) during its investigation into the incident and
the Narcotics Criminal Investigation (NCIS) and Suppression team's
involvement in the shooting.

Presentation of evidence is expected to take three days, according to
court officials.

Ayers died after being shot by NCIS officers near the intersection of
Broad and Currahee streets.

NCIS, at the time, was conducting an ongoing investigation into drugs
and prostitution, according to law enforcement officials.

Following the shooting, authorities stated Ayers was not a target of
the investigation.

Rickman has asked for, and received, assistance from two other
district attorneys in reviewing the case for presentation to the grand jury.

Grand jurors will also be considering several other, unrelated cases.

The current Stephens County Grand Jury was seated on July 1 and will
remain seated until Dec. 31.