Jarveon Hudspeth laid to rest by family, friends as they demand answers

May 02, 2024

Dozens of shirts bearing patterns of red roses dotted the crowd of mourners Saturday morning as friends and family gathered to say goodbye to Jarveon Hudspeth, the 21-year-old who was shot and killed by a Shelby County Sheriff's Office deputy during a traffic stop June 24.

In the time since the fatal shooting, few details have emerged from law enforcement officials. Without a full understanding of what took place, friends and family have been unable to understand the SCSO narrative that Hudspeth attempted to flee from a traffic stop and ended up dragging a deputy for 100 yards — during which the deputy ended up firing a single, fatal shot. The deputy was taken to the hospital in critical condition after the altercation.

A sense of confusion and disbelief ran through Hudspeth's funeral service.

He was, said family member Shundrika Boone, exceedingly smart and driven. He took several semesters at Lipscomb University, a small private university in Nashville. He was obsessed with cars and was studying engineering.

He possessed the type of stubbornness that lent itself to independence and a refusal to give up when he had a goal in mind, Boone said. He loved his family and friends and was loved deeply in return.

"I can't accept that you're no longer here. Sitting still for too long puts a burning sensation through my soul, and I feel so weak and numb," Boone said, reading from a letter Charlotte Haggett, Hudspeth's mother, wrote to her son.

Boone also read letters penned by Hudspeth's two older siblings. His brother, Jonquette Haggett, who is currently incarcerated, wrote of a deep regret he was not around to mentor and guide his brother. Hudspeth's sister, Senquel Hudspeth, also shared her grief.

"You were such a character with so much potential. I love you, baby boy," she wrote.

Days before the funeral, family members gathered outside of the Shelby County Criminal Justice Complex demanding transparency from the sheriff's department. The family has also retained attorney Benjamin Crump to represent them, bringing the total of Shelby County families represented by the nationally-known attorney to three.

SCSO has turned over all questions to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Per protocol, TBI was contacted by the Shelby County District Attorney's Office following the shooting.

No typical timeline exists for the disclosure of additional details from a fatal officer-involved shooting after TBI takes over as the primary investigative agency. After the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols in January, video footage from body-worn cameras and dashboard-mounted cameras was released with unprecedented speed.

If the investigation into Jarveon Hudspeth's death follows similar patterns from other local officer-involved shootings, it could be months or even over a year before the public knows more.

Micaela Watts is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal covering issues tied to education, access, and equity. She can be reached at [email protected].