CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Five bounty hunters accused of first degree murder were found not guilty of all charges except one earlier this week. The men were on trial for the fatal shooting of Jalen (Johnson) Milan in a case of mistaken identity in 2017.

Jalen (Johnson) Milan was 24 when he was killed on April 23, 2017.

The group of bounty hunters confronted (Johnson) Milan and his three friends at the Walmart Neighborhood Market on Whitfield Rd on April 23, 2017. The men were after William Ellis who had jumped bond. They mistakenly identified Jalen and his friends as their target and proceeded to confront the group.

The defense argued their clients were acting in self-defense, as Milan and friends quickly left the scene and struck some bounty hunters with their vehicle in the process.

Police said the bounty hunters then chased the men for seven miles, putting the public at risk. During the incident, they shot at the vehicle and injured two of the men, including fatally injuring (Johnson) Milan.

He left behind three children, who were ages two, three, and four at the time of his death.

VERDICT

Only one suspect was found guilty of one charge by the jury. Joshua Young, 29, was convicted of reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon.

Five men stood trial including William Byles II, 32, Antwon Keesee, 33, Roger West Jr., 32, and Joshua Young, 28, and Prentice William, 36.

They were found not guilty of the 16 charges they were facing including First Degree Felony Murder, three counts of Attempted Second Degree Murder, three counts of Especially Aggravated Kidnapping, Attempted Especially Aggravated Kidnapping, three counts of Aggravated Assault, Employing a Firearm in Commission of a Dangerous Felony, Felony Reckless Endangerment.

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TWO ADDITIONAL DEFENDANTS

Two other men involved with the case, Jonathan Schnepp and Kenneth Chiasson, reached plea deals at the beginning of the year.

According to court records, Jonathan Schnepp, 33, entered an open plea to three counts of aggravated assault. His other charges, including first-degree murder, were dismissed.

Schnepp will be sentenced after the other trials and his sentences will run concurrently.

Chiasson, 40, entered a memorandum of retirement, saying he will provide truthful, “good faith” testimony consistent with his previous statements at the trials of his co-defendants. His charges are then retired.

AFTER THE SHOOTING

Following the shooting in 2017, then State Representative Joe Pitts, filed a Bill in the Tennessee General Assembly to  address bounty hunter regulations. The bill was defeated by voice vote.

At that time Rep. Pitts said, “I regret we were unable to see this bill advance. We worked with law enforcement, and the bail bond industry for several months to come up with some very common sense changes that would enhance public safety.”

New regulations for Bounty Hunters were put into law July 1, 2018. Bounty Hunters are now required to wear clothing that clearly identifies the person as a bounty hunter any time they’re engaged in the functions of their job.

Currently, to become a bounty hunter someone must take an eight hour training course. They must also have a clean record, free of any felony convictions, and have a background check completed by the sheriff’s office, and fingerprint check by the FBI and TBI. Like all other civilians, bounty hunters are not able to use lethal force unless they feel their life is threatened.