Two Michigan families have filed lawsuits against police officers and their departments, alleging excessive force after separate high-speed chases left their loved ones dead, with attorneys claiming one officer was 'rife with malice' in his actions.
The lawsuits, announced Friday by attorneys Ven Johnson and Ben Crump, concern the deaths of Riley Doggett and Samuel Sterling in incidents involving Kent County law enforcement, according to MLive.
Doggett, 17, died on April 8, 2024, after fleeing Kent County sheriff's deputies near 32nd Street and Division Avenue. Deputy Josiah McMains attempted, MLive reported, to block his path with a patrol car. The teen's leg was caught in a tire, causing him to fall and strike his head.
Nine days later, on April 17th, Sterling, 25, fled from a fugitive task force near 52nd Street Se and Eastern Avenue. Sgt. Brian Keely, driving an unmarked state police vehicle, struck Sterling and briefly pinned him against a Burger King.
The Michigan Attorney General's office charged Keely with second-degree murder, accusing him of actions "rife with malice." However, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker declined to charge McMains, stating there was no evidence of gross negligence or ill intent in Doggett's death. Becker said McMains had not intended to hit the teen.
Both lawsuits, filed in U.S. District Court for Western District of Michigan, allege excessive force and negligence. Doggett's family claims McMains used disproportionate force, stating in the lawsuit, "Even if there was a need for the application of force in this situation, the amount of force Defendant McMains applied was not proportional to the need of force."
The lawsuit further describes the teen's death as "extreme".
Sterling's family argues Keely used unnecessary force during his arrest for a non-emergent property offense.
"A reasonable and prudent officer in Defendant Keely's position would not have used the same amount of force under the same circumstances.
Sterling had a criminal record, including a 2021 conviction for carrying a concealed weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He faced additional warrants in 2022 and 2023 for probation violations and failing to obey a lawful order.
Keely is scheduled to stand trial on April 21, 2024.
