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Family of man fatally shot after Washtenaw County deputy chase files suit
Four deputies have been placed on leave by the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department as Michigan State Police investigate the officer-involved shooting.
FOX 2 - The unarmed man shot and killed by Washtenaw County deputies after a police chase last month has now been identified as John Jenuwine.
The backstory:
Four deputies have been placed on leave by the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department as Michigan State Police investigate the officer-involved shooting.
On Friday Flood Law announced it is filing a lawsuit on behalf of the family.
Jenuine was a 34-year-old Navy veteran with no criminal history. He was in the Ypsilanti area for his job as a laser technician and had been staying at a nearby hotel. Washtenaw County released the dash cam of the police chase.
In the early morning of January 6th — the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call about an assault — describing two suspect in a white van — armed with a handgun.
They located a white van with its lights off — in the video Jenuine is behind the wheel. Police attempted to make a traffic stop, but Jenuwine keeps going — leading deputies on a chase for about 14 minutes.
At Prospect near Michigan Avenue he collided with a sheriff’s vehicle — flipping the van.
A deputy yells that he has a gun. Flood Law says that there were 27 shots were fired.
In their independent autopsy — it was found Jenuine was shot seven times and bled to death.
State police say there was no gun inside his van. Flood Law argued that he should never have been targeted.
"A white van, that’s all they have," said attorney Todd Flood. "But in the white van that was alleged to be two Black males and one had a handgun. And it's not discernible whether or not that gun was pointed and used in an assault, whether it was just displayed.
"Cleary it’s not two Black gentlemen in the vehicle. It’s one white guy. So clearly the 911 call was bogus or just a mistaken identity."
FOX 2: "What was he doing that night and why didn’t he pull over?"
"Sixty-four million dollar question," Flood said. "So he was in an area where he was staying where he was working, with regards to his job and his equipment. We don’t have an answer for why he was fleeing the police.
"Regardless, that doesn’t give you the right to shoot and kill somebody that’s not a threat."
"The sentencing guidelines for fleeing police isn’t death," s
FOX 2 reached out to the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office — they did not have any new statements and the Michigan State Police investigation is ongoing.
The Jenuwine family released a statement saying:
"This is a horrific time for our family as we continue to grieve the loss of our son. Watching him be killed has scarred us forever. No parent should ever have to bury their child, and no family should have to fight like we are just to get answers.
"We ask during this time that you respect our period of grieving."
The Source: Information for this story is from dashcam released from the Washtenaw County Sheriff Deputy's Office and from attorney Todd Flood.