Lansing Personal Injury Lawyer - Police

Recent Michigan Taser Incidents Cause Concern for Safety, Use of Force

David Mittleman — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:11:31 GMT

Two recent incidents involving the use of Tasers have grabbed headlines throughout Michigan and around the country, again raising doubts about the safety of the product and its use by law enforcement officials. Generally considered a "less-lethal" way of subduing unruly suspects, the use of Tasers has engendered serious controversy in recent months.

Earlier today, a young man in East Grand Rapids, Michigan, died in police custody after being Tasered. Early reports suggest that Matthew Bolick, 30, was Tasered twice during a struggle with local police officers.

Late last week, a Lansing, Michigan, police officer was reprimanded for Tasering a suspect who had already been handcuffed. Rocky Allred, 43, fell to the ground after the weapon was used on him, fracturing his jaw, chipping a tooth, and requiring eight stitches. The incident occurred back in August, and charges against Allred have been dismissed. The officer has been suspended for two weeks without pay for the appalling violation of police policy.

In late October, police in Traverse City, Michigan Tasered a 17-year-old girl following a traffic stop.

The recent spate of Taser-related injuries and deaths is by no means limited to Michigan. Injuries stemming from the use of the device have been reported across the country.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by David Mittleman

Theft and Joyriding Lead to Pursuit and Death in Oak Park, MI

Devon Glass — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:30:27 GMT

15-year-old Desean Murrell Fant died after crashing a stolen car into a tree in the early morning hours of November 10, 2009 in Oak Park, MI. Desean and another 15-year-old child had allegedly stolen a 1999 Saturn that belonged to a 24-year-old Oak Park resident.

After locating the vehicle, Oak Park police ensued on a car chase. The boys were not wearing seat belts when they lost control of the vehicle. The police had been pursuing the boys for several blocks and Michigan State Police are reconstructing the crash to learn more about the boys' speed at the time of collision.

Local residents noted that the speeding car was zooming. It is unfortunate and tragic that the need to go on a joyride or steal property would lead to taking such dangerous risks. The risks were not only to their own lives, but to the lives of any other pedestrian or driver.

It is also unfortunate that death is the price that was paid by these kids for stealing a car. If these kids had been caught and arrested, I don't think anyone would find death a reasonable punishment for the crime they committed, but that's the sentence they received when the situation escalated. Did the police really need to engage in a high speed pursuit to catch these kids for stealing a car?

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Devon Glass

Teens Learn Dangers of Texting While Driving During National Teen Safe Driver Week

David Mittleman — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:16:05 GMT

Congress has designated this week as National Teen Safe Driver Week. To help promote teen and young adult driving safety, the Michigan State Police recently offered local college students the opportunity to learn firsthand the dangers of driving while texting. On Monday, the Michigan State Police offered a demonstration on a precision track. The police supervisor, Sergeant James Flegel, instructed the students to text while attempting to maneuver around orange cones, which were representative of the cars and pedestrians they would normally encounter while driving. The demonstration, planned and offered by the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, was designed to show the dangers of using a cell phone, particularly to text, while driving.

National Teen Safe Driver Week was inspired by a recent Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study. In the study, the researchers used cameras to monitor the drivers of semitrailer trucks and their texting habits. Overall, the results showed that the risk of crash is 23 times greater when texting while driving. While the study did not look at how text messaging affects people driving cars, SUVs, or pickups, the results did find that dialing a cell phone caused the driver of any of these three types of vehicles to triple their risk of an accident.

According to the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, traffic crashes are the top killer of people between the ages of 16 and 20. Specifically, just last year 174 people were killed in crashes involving 16 to 20 year-olds. Furthermore, 106 out of the 174 of those killed were people between the ages of 16 and 20. While it is unclear what role cell phone use played in these accidents, students, such as 19-year-old Ciara Hines, admit that they knocked over nearly every orange cone on the precision course while driving and texting.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by David Mittleman

Elderly Driver Dies In Fatal Mid-Day Collision Near Frandor Shopping Center

Devon Glass — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:20:21 GMT

A fatal accident can occur at any time of the day, not just during rush hour or in the still of the night. 82-year-old Calvin Drake from Morrice, died last week from injuries sustained during an accident that took place around 1:30 p.m., Monday, October 5, near the Frandor Shopping Center.

Mr. Drake was transporting two passengers when he was traveling west on H.A. Sellers Avenue when his vehicle collided with another vehicle traveling north on North Homer Street. Lansing Police were still investigating the crash as of late last week, but alcohol was not a factor in this mid-day crash.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Devon Glass

Lansing House Fire Claims Family

Devon Glass — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:36:53 GMT

On June 23, 2009, a Lansing mother and her two children were found in their home by firefighters who responded to neighbor calls about visible flames coming from the house. Although the firfighters were able to contain the fire, all three family members passed away as a result of the fire. At this time, Lansing Police are reporting the incident as suspicious due to prior incidents that occurred in the weeks prior to the fire.

Firefighters had been to the house on June 2 to put out a car fire at the same house. When the fire department arrived, there were two cars on fire and a car port. There were also two home invasions in the month leading up to the deadly fire that police are still investigating. Additionally, there were complaints of vandalism reported to the police.

The family's neighbors had been concerned for a while about the family's safety based upon all of the problems they recently had. Based on the shared concerns of the neighbors, a makeshift neighborhood watch was created to keep an eye on the family to make sure they were safe but unfortunately it did not prevent the deadly blaze from happening.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Devon Glass

Family Files Wrongful Death Suit After 16-year-old Dies in Police Taser Incident

David Mittleman — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:03:17 GMT

A Detroit family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in U.S. District Court against the Warren police and the city after their son died of sudden cardiac arrest back in April of this year, when he was stunned with a Taser. After performing an autopsy, the medical examiner concluded that the boy had a genetic heart condition that caused him to have an irregular heartbeat, which also made his heart too weak to withstand the shock from the Taser.

The boy, just 16 years old, fled the car he was travelling in with his cousin after the police pulled the two boys over for having an expired license plate. The boy then ran into an empty house and attempted to resist arrest, at which point the police used the Taser to shock him. He immediately collapsed and the police continued to handcuff him until they discovered that he wasn’t breathing. They then attempted to resuscitate him without success.

Many residents in Warren are in an uproar over the police forces’ continued use of Taser guns. However, the Warren Police continue to defend the officers’ actions during the incident, saying they were simply following the department’s policy and the Taser is a non-lethal weapon. However, this is the second Taser-related death in Michigan this year alone.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by David Mittleman

Woman Critically Injured After Her Car Collides With A Tree

Devon Glass — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:32:24 GMT

A 23-year old woman and Ottawa County, Michigan, resident was seriously injured when her car crashed into a tree. She was driving a 2001 Kia on Lake Shore Drive when her car veered off the road and collided with a tree. It was unclear why her vehicle left the road and ran into a tree, and police are still investigating the cause of this accident. The woman was not wearing her seat belt at the time of the crash.

Although it is not clear at this time what injuries were sustained, it is important to remember to always wear your seat belt when riding or driving a car. A seat belt can help prevent severe injuries if you are involved in an automobile accident.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Devon Glass

MSU Student Dies After SUV Fall Into Red Cedar River

Devon Glass — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 10:26:05 GMT

A Michigan State University (MSU) student was killed and another student was seriously injured after the Mercury Mountaineer they were riding in hit a cement guardrail and fell into the Red Cedar River. The accident occurred on Cedar Street near Elm Street. It was not clear the cause of the accident, but police say a tire was flat on the vehicle when I was pulled out of the water. According to witnesses, the Mountaineer was airborne for nearly 100 feet before plunging into the Red Cedar River. The driver was pronounced dead at Sparrow Hospital while the passenger was released after being treated for unspecified injuries.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Devon Glass

Upper Peninsula Car Crash Leaves One Dead, Two Wounded

Devon Glass — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:11:07 GMT

A 23 year-old Newberry resident crashed his car into police vehicle on Michigan's M28 highway in the Upper Peninsula on January 27, 2009. The preliminary investigation indicates the 23 year-old's vehicle crossed the road and collided with the police car, although it was unclear whether there was a problem with the car or the roads which contributed to the crash. Both state troopers were taken to Marquette General Hospital, with one listed in serious condition and the other listed in critical condition. The 23 year-old driver was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Devon Glass

Pedistrian Killed By Semi Truck In Ionia County

Devon Glass — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 09:17:19 GMT

At approximately 2:15am, an Orleans Township man was struck by a semi truck in Ionia County, Michigan. The victim was near the intersection of Johnson and Wooldridge when the incident occurred. The semi truck driver told police he tried to swerve but he was unable to avoid hitting the man. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

There was also another semi truck accident on January 10, 2009, on I-94 near Chelsea. The victim was a passenger in a vehicle that lost control due to bad weather and ended up hitting the rear end of a semi truck.

Dangerous road have caused significant problems for drivers this winter, resulting in multiple accidents. Please remember to drive safely and carefully during the winter in Michigan. It's often better to drive slower and arrive at your destination alive then to speed and increase the chances of an auto accident.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Devon Glass