A coalition of police accountability and housing advocates called for the release of police body cam footage from a fatal shooting that took place during an eviction on Detroit’s west side in July.
A group of more than 30 people marched from Detroit’s 36th District Court to the Detroit Public Safety Headquarters, demanding justice for Sherman Butler, who was shot and killed by a 36th District Court officer during a court-ordered eviction in Palmer Park. Detroit police were on the scene after the bailiff requested assistance, according to the police department. Despite the department’s oversight board and activists calling for transparency around the incident, Detroit police have not released video footage because the shooting did not involve a department employee using deadly force.
“We want to see the body cam footage. We want to see the police report. We want to see the medical exam,” said Taura Brown, a member of Detroit Eviction Defense, in front of the courthouse on Wednesday.
The coalition has a range of demands, including: more training and oversight of how bailiffs conduct evictions, release of the police body cam footage and for the court officer to be fired and charged. They also want the name of the Detroit police officer who used the Taser made public and for that officer to be suspended.
“Justice for Sherman Lee Butler. Detroit police release the footage,” the coalition chanted as they marched down Woodward and Michigan Avenue, with a banner and signs with a similar message.
The incident took place on Manderson Road on July 12, when Detroit police say a court officer was conducting a court-ordered eviction. The bailiff, a contractor with the court, contacted Detroit police for help after coming across a man with a weapon during the eviction, who was “attempting to attack him.” Police, in an August news release, said officers did not respond to the eviction but to the bailiff’s safety concerns.
Once on the scene, police say they encountered an individual with a box cutter, who was “holding it to his neck.” An officer used a Taser, but it did not work. The person then attacked the bailiff, who fired “multiple shots,” according to police. The man then “lunged toward the officer,” and the bailiff fired more shots. The Detroit Police Department said its officers did not fire shots.
The Detroit Police Department Homicide Task Force submitted an investigator’s report to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, according to the news release. As of Wednesday, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office received a warrant request — which typically contains police reports, forensic evidence, photos and witness statements to determine if there is enough evidence to criminally charge a suspect — related to the fatal shooting. That warrant request from the Michigan State Police is being reviewed, according to the prosecutor’s office. The timeline for a charging decision is unclear.
Last year, the Detroit Police Department changed its policy on the release of police shooting videos. Detroit Police Chief James White said his department would release videos of certain police shootings within 45 days after the incident. The policy authorizes the release of “relevant video footage” from shootings involving Detroit police officers, according to the department.
The July 12 incident did not involve a DPD employee using deadly force, public information director Dayna Clark said in an email on Wednesday.
“Accordingly, video evidence of this incident will remain confidential in accordance with DPD procedures to ensure the integrity of the warrant submission process and any prosecutorial efforts that may follow,” Clark said.
The City of Detroit Law Department on July 22 denied a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by the Free Press for the police body cam footage and records related to the shooting, saying the matter is under open investigation. The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office late last month said it could not release materials related to a warrant submitted to its office because the case is ongoing.
Detroit’s 36th District Court Chief Judge William McConico said in a statement Wednesday that the court would “refrain from making any additional comments on this issue until the Detroit Police Department has completed its investigation and released their findings.”
In a previous statement on Aug. 19, McConico said that because the court officer was not charged with any crime, he had not been suspended from his duties.
Detroit’s 36th District Court approves a list of court officers whom landlords may hire to conduct an eviction. They are not employees of the court but rather independent contractors. Court officers may obtain a license to carry a concealed firearm.
According to 36th District Court records, an order of eviction — which allows a court officer to remove a tenant and their personal belongings from a rental property — was entered in late June against Butler. Previously, Butler failed to appear to a hearing, but did show up for a first hearing, records show. His landlord sought to evict him over a termination of tenancy.
During a meeting last week, members of the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners questioned Assistant Police Chief Charles Fitzgerald about the July 12 incident, including protocols around what happens during an eviction when police show up and the role of an armed bailiff, and if the court officer would be charged. Speakers during public comment demanded the release of the body cam footage.
Demonstrators on Wednesday echoed a similar sentiment.
“We need to do what we need to do to pass ordinances and bring our power together to mandate that they release footage on a regular basis, consistently. That’s what has to happen,” said Victoria Camille, a member of the Coalition for Police Transparency and Accountability.
Tristan Taylor, an organizer with Detroit Will Breathe, told the Free Press that Butler’s life was taken away in a “vicious eviction” process.
“The situation is not just tragic, but it’s enraging,” he said. “We’re here to get justice for Sherman Lee Butler.”
Free Press staff writers Andrea May Sahouri and Violet Ikonomova contributed to this report.
