Murder trail starts for suspect in death of DPD Sgt. Ken Steil

DETROIT (WJBK) - It's been almost two years since Detroit Police Sgt. Ken Steil was shot with a sawed-off shotgun but the man accused of killing the officer while on duty will face a jury this week.

Marquise Cromer is due in court on Wednesday for the murder of the Detroit Sergeant in September 2016. 

FOX 2 will stream the trial live on FOX 2 News Now on our YouTube page. CLICK HERE to watch.

Sgt. Steil was shot in the shoulder with a sawed-off shotgun near 7 Mile and Hayes on September 11, 2016. Steil was expected to make a full recovery from the gunshot but died from complications a few days later.

Steil, a 20-year veteran of the Detroit Police Department, was trying to arrest Cromer who police say was in the middle of a crime spree. It started as a domestic call where authorities said Cromer shot his own father. 

After shooting his father in the foot, police say Cromer stole his sister's car and just an hour and a half later, showed up at a car wash in Hamtramck and carjacked a man and then shot the man.

Steil was on the crew trying to arrest Cromer when he was shot. 

During Cromer's time in jail, erratic behavior has delayed the case. His arraignment was set for a few days after Steil's death but Cromer refused to leave his cell to face the murder charges. FOX 2 learned he was so combative that he was never brought over to court and his court-appointed attorney was never able to speak with him.

Last May, during a hearing, Cromer was smiling and laughing throughout the hearing. Eventually, he was deemed competent to stand trial.