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Michigan state trooper accused of fatally hitting a fleeing suspect with an SUV is charged with murder

Michigan state trooper accused of fatally hitting a fleeing suspect with an SUV is charged with murder | CNN

https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/30/us/michigan-state-trooper-samuel-sterling-murder-charge/index.html

A Michigan State Police detective has been charged with murder after investigators say he fatally struck a fleeing suspect with an SUV last month near Grand Rapids, state prosecutors announced.

Michigan state trooper accused of fatally hitting a fleeing suspect with an SUV is charged with murder | CNN

17 comments

Tower

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Warrant for arrest = death sentence

Cool cool cool cool.....

Nurse_Robot

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Keely’s attorney, Marc Curtis, said in a release, “It is unfortunate that in this time of political correctness, Michigan’s Attorney General has chosen to ignore the facts of this incident and rely on political pressure.”

Marc Curtis is a fucking scum bag.

finthechat

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This guy really thought he was Judge Judy and Executioner

belathus

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Judge Judy. I like this modification of the phrase.

deadsenator

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Sounds like a Rickyism. For the Gooder of Us All

fartington

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Permanently Deleted

Wilshire

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Must be hard to be a cop while also holding down three other jobs. Judge, jury, and executioner.

littlebluespark

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Must be hard to simply be a cop while also holding down two other jobs: Judge Judy and executioner.

There. FTFY.

alquicksilver

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Fuck that guy; I get that everyone deserves a defense in our legal system, but that doesn't flow through to the media stuff. Fuck him for defending his client to the media instead of just in the courtroom.

You know how else it could've been avoided? The pig could've chosen to not run him down with his car.

snooggums

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I guess Curtis hasn't seen the videos of cops shooting people who are complying to understand why someone would want to flee.

tal

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but argued his death was “an accident that could have been avoided had Mr. Sterling simply turned himself in” before a task force was assigned to catch him.

That's probably true. However.

It's fine for a police officer to hit someone with a car, and it's been done on many occasions.

But that's also considered to be deadly force, like shooting them.

There is a threshold where an officer, or anyone else, using deadly force is acceptable in each state.

If it doesn't meet the bar, can't use deadly force.

This isn't the criminal code, just the Michigan state policy, but that should be written to reflect the criminal code:

https://www.michigan.gov/msp/public-information/transparency/accordion/policies/use-of-force

Enforcement members may only discharge a firearm at a vehicle in the following circumstances:

Self-defense or defense of another - to justify the discharge of a firearm at a vehicle there must be some overt action on the part of the driver to establish an intent to kill or severely injure, as opposed to actions taken to escape arrest.

Life-threatening felonies with the use of a firearm - weapon may be pointed and/or discharged at a vehicle when an enforcement member has probable cause to believe an occupant has committed a life-threatening felony (murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, attempted armed robbery, felony arson, attempted arson, certain kidnapping crimes and criminal sexual conduct involving a weapon).

That's talking about firearm use, but the underlying legal code will be dealing with any use of deadly force.

Album

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Love it when ppl add "simply" to things as though it just hand waves it into success

Moneo

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Suspect would still be alive if they simply decided to stay home that day.

snooggums

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It is too hard to tell if this is sarcasm in this context.

anarchrist

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It is simply too hard to tell...

Kolanaki

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"It's simply: we kill the bat man."

octopus_ink

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This piece of shit.

The footage shows at least one officer chasing Sterling on foot into a Burger King parking lot when a large grey SUV veers into the lot and hits Sterling, appearing to pin him against the restaurant wall.

After the SUV reverses away from him, several officers converge on Sterling and order him to put his hands behind his back. Sterling repeatedly screams, “My back,” and groans in pain. After his hands are cuffed in front of him, Sterling continues to complain that his back and entire body hurt.

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“The case will hinge on several factors: Would a reasonable person with Keely’s police training believe that hitting Sterling with the car would have a likelihood of causing serious injury or death? Was that use of force reasonable under the circumstances?” he said.

b3an

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25 years old. Still a long life ahead of him. Sure maybe he could have done things differently, but that isn't our job to decide, and it's not anyone's right to take his life in an attempt at apprehension of a fleeing suspect. There is literally no justification here!! I dont care how badly you 'wanna git 'em ', you don't fucking run people over with your vehicle! This shouldn't even have to be said. 🤦‍♂