HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) – It’s been nearly four years since Huntsville STAC agent Billy Clardy III was killed in the line of duty.

Clardy was fatally wounded in a house on Levert Street in Huntsville during a botched drug sting in 2019. He later died at Huntsville Hospital.

LaJeromeny Brown is charged with capital murder in Clardy’s death. He has been in the Madison County Jail since his arrest the night of the incident.

The jury selection process began last week. Madison County Circuit Judge Chris Comer anticipated the parties would have a jury selected by Tuesday afternoon. But the process came to a halt with a challenge by the defense.

The jury pool began with 130 people starting last Monday. On Tuesday afternoon, both the defense and prosecution got 34 strikes, cutting jurors from the pool.

But just before the judge got a chance to formalize that a jury had been empaneled, defense attorney Bruce Gardner raised concerns about the prosecution striking most of the Black members of the panel.

Following a brief argument made by defense attorney Eric Wood, Judge Comer ultimately denied the motion to challenge the jury makeup.

Gardner expressed disappointment following the decision. Saying that he is frustrated that his client, who is Black, will not be judged by a jury of his peers.

There will be 12 jurors and four alternates for Brown’s trial. Alternates will not know their status until the jury is set to deliberate.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Brown.

The trial is due to begin Wednesday morning.