Updated – Pastor Jonathan Ayers Killed in Drug Sting

A multi-jurisdictional drug task force set up a sting to take place earlier this year in Toccoa and a pastor from the area was inadvertently shot
and killed. 29-year-old Jonathan Paul Ayers wasn’t a target in the drug
sting and was not connected at all but a passenger riding in his car was.

Ayers
dropped off the woman riding with him in downtown Toccoa around 2:30 
Tuesday afternoon and two agents from the task force which was made up
of officers from Stephens, Habersham and Rabun counties followed Ayers
and attempted to question him.

Ayers tried to avoid the officers, striking one of them with his car
after putting it in reverse. The officers yelled (according to
witnesses as well as their statements) “Police, Stop!”. Ayers car
lurched toward the law enforcement officers in a “threatening manner
and one of the three agents fired a two shots which struck Ayers in the
upper body. He drove off but ended up hitting a telephone pole about a
block away. The pastor died at Stephens County Hospital in Toccoa.

The agent struck by Ayer’s vehicle was treated and released from the
hospital and all of the agents involved have been placed on
administrative leave pending investigation.

Ayers lives in
Lavonia and was a pastor at Shoal Creek Baptist Church in Lavonia. His
family says that he was in no way involved in drugs and police did not
find any drugs in his possession or in his vehicle.

18-Year-Old Kala Jones Barrett was the intended target of the sting and was arrested and charged with distribution of cocaine. According to Barrett, who listed her home as the Relax Inn in Toccoa, Ayers was giving her a ride and providing ministerial comfort and advice.

A press conference was held earlier
today concerning the shooting and Law Enforcement again said that there
is no connection between Ayers and drugs. The GBI spokesman did,
however, say the following; “It was thought to be the case when it
led up to what happened. We later found out there was another
circumstance that we cannot get into that led to the incident, not
drugs.“

The family of Jonathan Ayers has also released a statement. The following is from WNEG. Check out their site for more information.

A spokesperson for the Floyd-Ayers family issued the following statement [...]:

“Jonathan
was a good man. He was not involved in drugs. He would help anyone that
needed help, give them the shirt off his back. Jonathan would have
wanted to witness to the police officers involved in the shooting.

He was so excited about becoming a father and was loved by his family, friends and members of his church.”

The
spokesperson told WNEG News that Jonathan Ayers was being incorrectly
portrayed as a drug suspect and that he was an innocent bystander.

Prior to dying Jonathan Ayers asked paramedics who shot him according to the AJC.
Ayers’ actions point to a man who was scared and trying to get
out of what looked like an ugly situation. He wasn’t aware that the men
were police and even though they did identify themselves, when guys are
yelling at you “Stop, Police! Get the fuck out of the car now or we’ll
shoot” (just an approximation, I don’t know the exact words they
yelled) the only thing one might hear is “get out of the car or I’ll
shoot” and that’s if he could hear anything at all with his windows up.

Does that make the police culpable for his death? Friends of
Ayers certainly think so. I am on the fence on that one though. It
feels like a really big mistake, misunderstanding, mis-communication
(albeit one that has cost a man his life). Should police have let him
drive off and follow him,perhaps endangering other folks on the road?
If he saw police lights behind him he might have pulled over realizing
his mistake. It’s a bit late for that though.

The question
still remains though, why was the woman who has been arrested for
cocaine in his car in the first place? I’m not trying to point at
anything here, really want to know.

It’s my understanding that a Stephens County Grand Jury began hearing evidence earlier this week and issued their findings Friday afternoon. Concerning the actions of the officers involved in the death of Jonathan Ayers on September 1st  they found that the use of deadly force by the agent was legally justified based on his belief that it was necessary to prevent death or harm.

Jonathan’s Blog.