GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — With the announcement by the Michigan Attorney General's office of a second-degree murder charge filed against MSP Detective Sgt. Brian Keely, the Sterling family and their attorney Ven Johnson are speaking out.
"The right thing is to hold no one above the law," said Johnson. "Everyone should be equal under the law, and that includes police officers, and again, our hats off to Attorney General Nessel and her staff and her prosecuting attorneys on her staff that did the right thing here."
Along with the second-degree murder charge, which carries a life sentence, Keely is also alternatively facing an involuntary manslaughter charge.
Johnson explained his understanding of the charges.
"He's technically charged with both and ultimately the jury is going to be able to give them one or the other," said Johnson.
In April, Sterling was wanted on multiple felony warrants and was being searched for by the Michigan State Police's Fugitive Task Force. After being spotted by a member of the task force, Sterling took off on foot near 52nd Street and Eastern Avenue.
While there were officers on foot chasing him, the unmarked MSP vehicle came up from behind, allegedly driven by Keely, and pushed him up against the Burger King wall.
"I cried when I first heard about it," said Sterling's mom Andrica Cage. "I'm happy that he will be charged."
According to the family and Johnson, they'll be working to file their civil suit against the State of Michigan, and Keely, within the next 60 days.
"In essence, the money would come out of the Michigan State Police budget is how it works in cases like this," said Johnson. "So MSP is obviously highly involved."
Keely has not yet been arraigned, but will appear in front of a judge at the 62-B District Court in Kentwood.
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