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Detroit police body cam video kills plea deal in shooting case
The attorney representing the driver says she’s been practicing criminal law for 18 years and never, never has this happened. We’ll show you the footage that changed it all.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - A driver was shot in the neck by a Detroit police officer, and then the driver was charged. However, a local judge refused to accept the plea deal after being outraged by body camera footage of the entire incident.
Big picture view:
The attorney representing the driver says she’s been practicing criminal law for 18 years and never, never has this happened. We’ll show you the footage that changed it all.
"He goes to put his car in park and his car kind of goes forward. The officer on the side has his gun out when he tells him to get out, and then he starts shooting and strikes my client in the neck," said Deborah Webster-Cox.
What they're saying:
Bloodied and behind the wheel, 29-year-old Brandon Owens was shot in the neck by a Detroit police officer on Detroit’s Eastside in October 2023.
His attorney, Deborah Webster-Cox, says he was a spectator at an illegal street race when DPD broke it up.
Owen’s attorney says he was trying to comply when his car rolled forward. Ultimately, Owens was charged, and was given a plea deal in exchange for no jail time.
Then it was time for sentencing in front of Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Lawrence Elassal.
"When it comes to sentencing, the judge in that matter read the report and was outraged by it by the entire thing and would not accept the plea," said Webster-Cox. "In fact he says it’s the officer that should be in front of me, not this man."
The judge said the officer was acting like a cowboy.
Dig deeper:
It’s an incredibly rare move.
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office appealed, the Court of Appeals overturning Judge Elassal decision, saying the judge was too emotional. Now the case will likely go to trial for a jury to decide after seeing the intense body cam video.
DPD did an internal review of the officer's action. They sent FOX 2 a statement reading in part:
"The officer was not criminally charged in connection with this incident, however, after an administrative review by the Detroit Police Department’s Force Investigations Unit, the department issued the officer a 45-day suspension for unnecessary use of force. He has appealed the suspension to an arbitrator."
What's next:
Fortunately, the victim has recovered from his injuries and will have no serious long-term complications.