Jacquerious Mitchell, 20, Michael Mitchell, 32, and Thaddeous Green, 22, traveled from Alexandria, Louisiana, to purchase drugs from Brown, police said.
Three suspects have been identified in the murder of Joshua Brown, a key witness in the murder trial of former Dallas police Officer Amber Guyger.
The three — identified as Jacquerious Mitchell, 20, Michael Mitchell, 32, and Thaddeous Green, 22 — traveled from Alexandria, Louisiana, to purchase drugs from Brown, 28, in the parking lot of a Dallas apartment complex, according to authorities.
Jacquerious Mitchell was in custody at a hospital and the other two suspects were being sought, Assistant Chief Avery Moore said at a news conference Tuesday. The two fugitives are thought to be armed and dangerous, he said.
Jacquerious Mitchell told police that Brown shot him in the chest after Green and Brown got into an altercation during the drug deal, and that Green then shot Brown twice, Moore said.
Green took Brown’s backpack and the gun used to shoot Jacquerious Mitchell and the three suspects fled the scene, Moore said.
The suspects dropped Jacquerious Mitchell off at a hospital, the assistant police chief said, adding that warrants will be executed for the two other suspects.
Michael Mitchell is the suspected getaway driver.
Police confiscated 12 pounds of marijuana, 149 grams of THC cartridges and $4,157 in cash during a search of Brown’s home, Moore said.
Brown was murdered two days after Guyger was convicted of murder.
Moore said at Tuesday’s news conference that Brown’s killing was not related to his testimony in Guyger’s case.
“As you know, there’s been speculation and rumors that have been shared by community leaders claiming that Mr. Brown’s death was related to the Amber Guyger trial and somehow the Dallas Police Department was responsible,” Moore said. “I assure you that is simply not true and I encourage those leaders to be mindful of their actions moving forward because their words have jeopardized the integrity of the city of Dallas as well as the Dallas Police Department.”
Lee Merritt, a lawyer for the family of Botham Jean, who was fatally shot by Guyger, previously said Brown had reservations about testifying in the trial because of concerns for his safety.
On Tuesday, Merritt released a statement on behalf of the Brown family calling for the Dallas Police Department to turn the investigation over to another agency.
“This family and their representatives have consciously avoided speculating about law enforcement involvement in this tragedy, however, due to the proximity of this murder with the trial of Amber Guyger — rumors abound,” the statement said, in part. “A cloud of suspicion will rest over this case until steps are taken to ensure the trustworthiness of the process.”
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson asked the public in a tweet over the weekend to “refrain from speculation” about Brown’s shooting.
Brown’s slaying Friday occurred less than six miles from the apartment complex where Jean, his neighbor, was fatally shot by Guyger on Sept. 6, 2018.
Brown had lived across the hall from Jean, 26, at the Southside Flats apartment building in Dallas. He was a key witness in the trial, testifying that he heard an exchange between two people and then two quick gunshots. He also testified that he had also walked to the wrong floor of the apartment building in the past, which was Guyger’s explanation for why she entered Jean’s apartment thinking it was her own.
Guyger lived a floor below Jean.
She was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
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