BRUNSWICK, Ga. – Three years after a Camden County sheriff's officer was gunned down during a traffic stop along Interstate 95, it took a jury less than two hours to find Jason O'Neal Bryant guilty of the murder.
Jason O'Neal Bryant (pictured, right) was found guilty Thursday night of murder, aggravated assault, armed robbery and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.
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Sgt. Dan Jenkins was shot Aug. 28, 2000, after he pulled over a man on I-95 suspected of robbing two Yulee, Fla., motels earlier in the night. That man -- identified as Bryant -- shot Jenkins four times.
The jury of seven women and five men brought in from west Georgia due to pretrial publicity asked to see the video of the murder recorded by Jenkins' dashboard-mounted video camera for a third time during their deliberations.
Some members of Jenkins' family left the courtroom as the video was played. Others wept.
Attorneys for Bryant told the court Wednesday they intended to pursue a mental-health defense, but was told by Judge Amanda Williams that if they introduced any of Bryant's history of anti-social behavior, the prosecution could introduce the defendant's criminal history.
Thursday morning, attorney Richard Hagler abandoned that plan, and allowed Bryant to the stand against their legal advice.
On the stand, Bryant didn't deny the murder, but said he had a history of severe headaches and blackouts. He testified that the only thing he remembered between 9:30 p.m. that night and 3 a.m. the next morning was exiting the interstate, and pulling off his clothes. He said he had a gun and tried to kill himself, but the gun was empty.
Jenkins' was shot four times -- the last time in the back of the head with his own 9 mm service revolver -- at 12:39 a.m.
Bryant said he remembers nothing of the robberies, the traffic stop or the shooting.
During cross examination, District Attorney Stephen Kelley pointed out inconsistencies between Bryant's testimony and statements he made in the days after his arrest when he claimed he struggled with Jenkins over the gun.
Kelly played the video of the traffic stop and the shooting recorded in Jenkins' cruiser. As he had the previous day when the tape was first shown in court, Bryant did not watch the screen.
Friday morning, the jury will begin the sentencing phase of the trial, with the option of choosing the death penalty or life in prison.
Jenkins was in law enforcement for 11 years at the Kingsland Police Department. He joined the Camden County Sheriff's Office in 1993 and later was promoted to sergeant.
Jenkins was 36 years old when he died. He is survived by his wife -- also an employee of the Camden Sheriff's Office -- and three children.
Previous Stories:
- August 19, 2003: Video Of Officer's Murder Played For Jury
- August 18, 2003: Prosecutors Lay Out Case In Officer Murder Trial
- August 13, 2003: Jury Selection Begins For Deputy Murder Trial
- August 10, 2001: Jurors To Be Imported For Murder Trial
- May 15, 2001: Georgia Deputy Among Fallen Officers Honored In D.C.
- September 1, 2000: Thousands Gather For Officer's Funeral
- August 31, 2000: Memorial Services Held For Camden County Deputy
- August 29, 2000: Suspect In Deputy's Shooting Charged With Murder