Dalton Cason, a 26-year-old white man, was beneath the affect of fentanyl and cocaine when he struck and killed a 7-year-old Black boy named Logan Sharpe final 12 months in Georgia, based on a toxicology report from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
However Pierce County prosecutors have refused to cost him with vehicular murder, which might be the suitable cost beneath state regulation as a result of he was driving whereas beneath the affect of medicine, based on a Georgia prison protection legal professional.
And it was solely after the boy’s household started speaking in regards to the case on social media that Cason was even charged with misdemeanor driving beneath the affect – 9 months after the lethal incident and three months after the outcomes have been finalized.
“It’s a slap in our face as a result of they’ve the proof and all the pieces they should cost Dalton with vehicular murder however they received’t do it,” stated Logan’s mom, Shaunte Sharpe, in one among a number of interviews performed by Atlanta Black Star to compile this unique report.
“Like my son’s life didn’t matter.”
It additionally seems the Georgia state trooper who responded to the scene lied in his report to guard Cason — twisting the phrases of a watch witness who later offered a signed assertion contradicting what the deputy had attributed to him in his report.
Georgia state trooper Chase Middleton claimed the 81-year-old Black man who was sitting on his entrance porch when the truck struck the boy had informed him the boy was standing on the street when he was killed in an obvious effort responsible the kid for his personal demise.
However Clifford Simon wrote a signed witness assertion saying he had informed the cop that Locke had been strolling on the sidewalk when he struck so onerous that his physique flew within the air and landed on the road, indicating that Cason had pushed upon the sidewalk when he struck the kid.
One other witness, Myra Vanessa James, who confirmed up after the crash, wrote a witness assertion saying that Logan’s older brother, Keisean, was very distraught, repeatedly saying that the truck had pushed on the sidewalk.
“He got here on the sidewalk and hit my brother, he got here on the sidewalk and hit my brother,” she quoted him as saying in her signed assertion.
And one other witness, Patricia Wilson, signed a press release confirming that Simon, her brother-in-law, had informed the cop that the kid was on the sidewalk previous to being struck by Cason.
However Middleton, whose spouse is Fb mates with Cason, claimed the alternative in his report which is why Cason was by no means charged with vehicular murder.
The household additionally accuses Middleton of turning off his physique digital camera throughout the investigation, which can be true contemplating there was no point out of physique digital camera video in any of the experiences.
Compromising the Investigation
The responding officers additionally allowed Cason’s household to take away objects from inside his truck after the crash fairly than impound the automobile to go looking it for proof, based on the boy’s great-grandmother, Minnie McBride, who’s accusing Cason of getting bought medicine of their neighborhood previous to the crash that killed Sharpe, declaring that Cason has a previous arrest for cocaine possession from 2022.
“The cops have been standing proper there, letting them take away stuff from his truck,” McBride stated. “The didn’t search him they usually didn’t search his truck as a result of they let his household get what they needed and no matter he had simply purchased.”
By that point, the investigation had already been compromised as a result of Cason had moved his truck earlier than investigators even arrived on the scene, making it unattainable for them to conduct a radical evaluation of what had taken place.
And now the household is worried the state will destroy the proof uncovered within the toxicology report which might enable Cason to flee any accountability within the demise of the boy who was struck and killed whereas enjoying exterior his house.
“The effective print on the backside of the toxicology report says they will discard these specimens as a result of it’s been a 12 months,” stated Amaka Imamu, founding father of Journey Black Basis, an Atlanta-based firm that advocates for the civil rights of Black individuals who has been working with the household to boost consciousness in regards to the case.
“It is a comparable scenario to Ahmaud Arbery, how that started off,” Imamu added, referring to the case of the 25-year-old Black man killed whereas jogging in Georgia in 2020 after he was chased down by three white males and shot to demise, just for these males to flee accountability for practically three months till a video of the capturing went viral, putting public stress on state investigators to file expenses towards all three males who are actually serving jail sentences.
In reality, Arbery’s aunt, Carla Arbery, is a part of the group making an attempt to boost consciousness on this case due to the parallels between the 2 instances.
“It took 74 days earlier than any expenses have been filed in my nephew’s case,” Arbery stated. “And in Logan’s case, Dalton was not arrested till 9 months later.”
“I really feel that the justice system has failed Logan like they failed Ahmaud.”
“Logan Simply Acquired Hit”
The incident happened on Could 19, 2024, in Patterson, a rural city in southern Georgia with a inhabitants of lower than 1,000 individuals the place “everyone know one another,” stated McBride, who lives on the identical block as her granddaughter, the boy’s mom.
Shaunte Sharpe stated she was doing chores when her 4 youngsters requested to go exterior and play, together with two sons and two daughters, with Logan being the youngest.
“I stated, ‘y’all clear up the home after which I’ll let y’all go down the road and play,” she stated, which they did, so she gave them permission to play exterior.
Minutes later, her oldest son, Keisean, got here working into the home in a panic, telling her that Logan had simply been struck by a truck.
“’Mother, name the police, name the police, Logan simply obtained hit,’” she described him telling her.
She ran out the home and down the road and noticed her son mendacity facedown on the street.
“I run straight to Logan and I’m screaming,” she stated. “I get to him and the very first thing I do is test for a pulse to see if he was nonetheless with us however the second I touched his neck, I couldn’t really feel something and my coronary heart simply broke.”
“He had a gash on his head, his arm was broke, there was vomit and a bit of little bit of blood on the highway, his hip was cut up, like you could possibly see the chicken so I’m screaming, I’m screaming and a crowd begins to assemble.”
She stated she was in a daze however finally walked as much as Cason, who was standing exterior his truck additional down the road with a white man and lady, presumably his father and spouse.
“The lady rotated and checked out me and her face was bloodshot purple, like she had been crying her eyes out,” Shaunte Sharpe stated.
“I checked out Dalton and stated, ‘I do know you didn’t imply to kill my baby, at the very least apologize, say one thing to me that you just acknowledge me however he didn’t acknowledge me. He stayed wanting ahead and didn’t say something. He didn’t take a look at me one time.”
The Police Report
The incident report filed by Trooper Middleton acknowledged Cason not solely moved his automobile previous to investigators arriving, he was additionally given the selection to do a blood draw which he agreed to do.
(Cason) acknowledged he noticed a big group of youngsters on the sidewalk. As he approached the children, he acknowledged that he didn’t see Sharpe run into the roadway however noticed him within the highway simply previous to affect. He utilized the brakes however couldn’t cease in time.
After affect, Cason acknowledged he obtained out of the automobile to test on Sharpe. He then known as 911. Right now, he moved his truck to the shoulder of the roadway as a big crowd started to assemble round Sharpe. As first responders arrived, Cason stayed on scene, standing subsequent to his truck with a deputy current throughout the investigation. I requested Cason if he would give a voluntary blood draw. He agreed to take action.
Whether it is true Cason noticed the youngsters enjoying on sidewalk as he was driving in that path however didn’t see Logan run into the road, solely seeing the boy proper earlier than affect, then it’s doable took his eyes off the highway in some unspecified time in the future, maybe to take a look at his telephone as so many drivers do nowadays.
“The state patrol informed me they’re going to test his telephone to see whether or not he was on the telephone distracted when the accident occurred,” McBride stated, however she shouldn’t be sure they really did that.
“I ain’t seen none of that within the experiences.”
Middleton additionally acknowledged the next in his report which was contradicted by the witness assertion signed by Simon, the Black man sitting on his entrance porch when the crash occurred.
Witness 1, who was on the entrance porch of 3319 Tyre Bridge Highway, acknowledged that children have been enjoying within the roadway. He acknowledged that the didn’t see preliminary affect however did see the truck touring by way of the neighborhood. He acknowledged that the truck didn’t seem like driving excessively or recklessly.
However Middleton by no means interviewed any of Sharpe’s siblings or cousin who have been a part of the group of kids enjoying collectively that day – who probably would have offered a unique account.
It is usually not clear from the preliminary report what the trooper would have completed had Cason refused the blood draw however the trooper additionally added that Cason had the automotive towed to an organization of his selection for the obligatory five-day maintain after visitors fatalities which is to permit cops to go looking it for proof of a criminal offense.
However by then, his household had already eliminated objects from contained in the truck, based on McBride. And there’s no proof they really searched the truck throughout that five-day interval.
The Blood Check
Middleton submitted Cason’s blood to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation on Could 28, 2024 and the outcomes got here again on October 29, 2024, exhibiting he examined constructive for cocaine, fentanyl and benzoylecgonine which is a metabolite of cocaine.
Nevertheless, the household didn’t study of the outcomes till December. And it was solely when Imamu, the founding father of Journey Black Basis, obtained concerned and began posting in regards to the toxicology experiences on social media in January that led to Cason’s arrest on a misdemeanor DUI cost on February 2.
“I don’t really feel like he would have been charged if we wouldn’t have went to social media with it,” stated Shaunte Sharpe.
“They didn’t cost him till we put it on Fb and it began getting traction and everyone began tagging the police division and the sheriff on Fb.”
However the backside of the toxicology report states that “organic proof (physique fluids and tissues) and proof dedication proof can be destroyed after one 12 months” which is regarding to the household as a result of Could 28 marks precisely one 12 months for the reason that GBI obtained the blood to check, despite the fact that it took them 5 months to finalize the outcomes.
In the meantime, the household is making an attempt to boost cash for an legal professional of their struggle for justice, however nothing will ever be the identical for them.
“He was the lifetime of us as a result of he introduced us collectively,” stated Shaunte Sharpe. “He was goofy and bubbly and actual spunky.”
“It’s not honest to us as a result of I needed to bury my 7-year-old son, and he can’t develop as much as have youngsters or graduate from highschool or see his siblings develop up. And his siblings watched this. They watched their brother die in entrance of their eyes.”
On-line courtroom data from Pierce County present that Cason’s trial is scheduled for June 19 and it’ll go earlier than a choose, not a jury.
“I simply need justice,” Shaunte Sharpe stated. “I simply need Dalton to be held accountable as a result of he know what he completed was mistaken.”
