Loved ones remember fallen officer; suspect misses court

DETROIT (WJBK) - As family, friends and colleagues mourn the death of Detroit police Sgt. Ken Steil,  the man accused of killing him failed to appear before a judge.

The suspect reportedly became so combative, he couldn't be brought to court.

"Our precinct is hurting - a lot of officers not doing very well right now," said Capt. Eric Decker.

Decker knows the pain all too well - as he and his colleagues grieve the  loss of 46-year-old Sgt. Ken Steil.

Steil ran special ops at the Ninth Precinct, who dove with the dive team - earning him the nickname "Shark"  the man who gave his life serving his city - passing away Saturday from a blood clot after being shot in the shoulder last Monday.

"The precinct is in mourning, the department is in mourning," Decker said. "But specifically here - his family here - there's a lot of guys and gals that are hurting."

Decker showed FOX 2 a wall at the Ninth Precinct - the badges of the officers killed in the line of duty. Soon Sgt. Steil's badge will be there as well - a wall that already bears the badge of Decker's brother-in-law.

"My wife's brother is on the wall so it's very personal to me," he said. "It's just something that never goes away."

Officer Scott Stewart was killed in the line of duty in 2002.

"It's been 14 years and it feels like yesterday," Decker said. "It brings it back every time, and it’s hard for the families too."

Decker, his officers and the community paying tribute to Stiel - decorating his squad car - which is now being wrapped - for his funeral procession on Friday.

"A blue mourning band going through the middle and a large shark on it - everybody knows his code name was Shark," Decker said.

The car should be back out front at the precinct Wednesday - as visitation begins for Steil that same day, the man accused of killing him - Marquise Cromer - is expected
in court to be charged with first degree murder. His hearing Tuesday was postponed because he was too combative to bring to court.

But the officers here at No. 9 right now are only concerned with honoring their fallen brother.

"Ken was a hero, went off doing his job every day," said Decker. "He lost his life doing it. His family, it's tragic for his actual family, his DPD family, all the nation's cops. We all feel it. Prayers and support."

Those who would like to donate in memory of Sgt. Steil’s family, can go to the detroitpublicsafety.org page.