From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
HUNTSVILLE — The man facing a capital murder charge in the slaying of STAC agent Billy Clardy III on Friday has a lengthy criminal history that includes assaulting a police officer and was once deemed one of “Chattanooga’s most dangerous criminals” by Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke.
LaJeromeny Latez Brown, 41, who shot and killed Clardy during a drug bust, allegedly assaulted a Hamilton County, Tennessee, police officer in December 2018. This follows another arrest in October 2018, where Brown was charged with aggravated kidnapping and criminal impersonation of a police officer. According to media reports, Brown was also a suspect in an August 2018 home invasion robbery.
Brown was released from prison in July 2018 after serving 41 months on charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
Brown, who is currently in the Madison County Jail, is now charged with killing Clardy during a sting operation at a house on Levert Street. Brown immediately shot Clardy upon arrival to the scene, striking him outside his bulletproof vest. Brown was eventually captured following a brief foot chase.
Police said Clardy died as a result of gun shot wounds he suffered outside the scope of his bullet proof vest.
Clardy was a police officer for the Huntsville Police Department working as a drug agent as part of the HIDTA Gulf Coast Task Force on Dec. 6, 2019. STAC Agents are part of the North Alabama Drug Task Force under HIDTA.
Agent Clardy is survived by his wife and five children. His father, Officer Billy Fred Clardy Jr., was also killed in the line of duty with the Huntsville Police Department on May 3, 1978.
Chief Mark McMurray said Clardy was a highly decorated police officer and he had also earned commendation from the United States military.
Clardy began his career working North Huntsville as a patrol officer. He quickly moved to becoming a Community Relations Officer for several years and became a part of the very first HPD Anti-Crime Team and then became a STAC Agent.