While Porter Burks was in mental crisis, the 22 year old black man was shot 19 times by Detroit Police on the city’s west side on October 2, 2022.
Police allege he was carrying a knife and went for officers. But video of the incident shows a lot of distance between Burks and the police.
The incident has drawn national attention, protest, and raised questions about how should we respond to and care for people in these situations.
Importantly, there's also a $50 million lawsuit filed on behalf of the family against both the city of Detroit and the five officers involved. Attorney Geoffrey Fieger’s case alleges assault, battery, gross negligence, wanton and willful misconduct, violation of department policies — and violations of the freedom of information and persons with disabilities civil right acts.
To help sort this out, an attorney who I believe is an expert in the field, Vince Colella of Moss and Colella.
He joins me as we discuss police use of force, mental health, the state of the case as it is today, and some likely outcomes.
On Vince: https://www.mosscolella.com/team-members/vince-colella
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