Huntsville, Alabama – A man has been sentenced to death for the killing of a Huntsville police officer in 2019. LaJeromeny Brown was found guilty of capital murder and was sentenced to death by a Madison County judge this morning, following a jury’s recommendation last November. Brown admitted to shooting and killing officer Billy Clardy III during an undercover drug operation in north Huntsville on December 6, 2019.
According to reports, Brown, a Chattanooga man, was in Huntsville that day to sell 100 pounds of marijuana. The drug task force had set up the operation at an abandoned house on Levert Street, where the fatal shooting took place. After shooting Clardy, Brown fled the scene but was quickly apprehended by other task force officers after a brief foot chase about a block from the house.
During the trial, Brown claimed that he did not realize Clardy was a police officer at the time of the shooting. However, the jury found him guilty of capital murder and recommended the death penalty by a vote of 10-2. It was reported that this incident was particularly tragic for the Clardy family, as Billy Clardy Jr., the father of the slain officer, also died while on duty as a Huntsville police officer in a car accident in 1978.
This sentencing is a significant development in the case, bringing some form of closure to the tragic loss of a dedicated police officer. The decision to sentence Brown to death reflects the severity of the crime and provides a sense of justice for the victim and his family. The Huntsville community can now find some solace in knowing that the perpetrator has been held accountable for his actions.