NEWS ADVISORY NOT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Release Date: August 1st, 2022
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.com
Draco.LifeAshley Smith, victim’s sister
Phone: (254) 290-7303
justice4sheldy@gmail.com
Lory Parks, National Action Network
Phone: (313) 492-6774August 1st, 2022
Community Members: “Accountability for Dewayne Jones” & “Justice for Sheldy!”
When: 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM EDT. Monday August 1st.Where: 36th District Court building 421 Madison Street. Detroit, MI 48226.Why now? Dewayne Jones has a Final Pretrial hearing at 11:00 AM. Detroit, MI – Members of Detroit Residents Advancing Civilian Oversight (DRACO), National Action Network, and others, will be holding a News conference, promptly at 10:15 AM this Monday, to express their displeasure with the injustice surrounding the August 2018 beating of hospital patient Sheldy Smith by then-Corporal Dewayne B. Jones. They will be calling for reforms and a more effective Board of Police Commissioners. Community members will continue to picket outside the courthouse until 11:30 AM. Some activists may be available later to answer questions.
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 had the initial pre-trial hearing in the courtroom of Judge E. Lynise Bryant at 11:00 AM. August 1st is the Final Pretrial hearing date.
The founder of DRACO is former District 4 Community Advisory Council Chairperson Scotty Boman. He said, “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.”
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 Monday, August 1st, 2022 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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