Star Football Player's Death Goes To Grand Jury

A George County grand jury has begun hearing testimony in the shooting death of a high school football star. Police claim Billey Joe Johnson shot himself after being stopped for running a red light.

By: Jamie Burch | WKRG-TV
Published: February 09, 2009

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JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A George County grand jury has begun
hearing testimony in the Dec. 8 shooting death of a high school
football star.
Authorities have said 17-year-old Billey Joe Johnson died after
being stopped by a deputy for running a red light in Lucedale. Law
enforcement records have shown that Johnson had been identified as
a suspect in an attempted break-in moments before the traffic stop.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation has gathered evidence in
the probe.
Johnson's mother, Annette, and Curley Clark, president of a Gulf
Coast chapter of the NAACP, were among those subpoenaed to testify
on Monday.
Johnson was a junior running back at George County High was
considered a top potential college football recruit.
Johnson's family and the NAACP are conducting independent
investigations of his death.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)