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Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Video sparks new review of Michigan cop Tracy Yurkunas' shooting of suspect Devin Reddick

Video from a police car dashcam shows a Michigan police officer shooting a suspect


Dramatic dash cam video of a police-involved shooting in Michigan has prosecutors rethinking their previous decision to clear the cop who fired the shot.

Officer Tracy Yurkunas' shooting of Devin Reddick on Jan. 15 was ruled as self-defense after an investigation into the incident.

The newly released video, however, could cause officials to change their mind.

"We are certainly going to reexamine the original decision," Washtenaw County chief deputy assistant prosecutor Steve Hiller said Monday.

The video, obtained by AnnArbor.com through a request under the Freedom of Information Act, wasn't previously available because of problems with a recording system at the time.

Yurkunas is seen in the footage - recorded by another police car - jumping from her vehicle and pointing her weapon at the car driven by Reddick. He was being pursued on suspicion of domestic violence.

Reddick emerges from his car and Yurkunas fires, the video shows. Police officers then attempt to determine where Reddick was shot.

Yurkunas, who appears visibly shaken by the incident at the end of the video, later said she believed the suspect was reaching for a weapon. Police said he was unarmed, but was holding a cell phone.

Reddick, 30, was charged in January with domestic violence, operating with a suspended license and refusing to be fingerprinted, all of which are misdemeanors.

State police Sgt. Dale Smith investigated the case and said Monday he doesn't expect the video to change anything.

"As far as we're concerned, the investigation is done," he said. "We turned it over and our findings have not changed."

Yurkunas has been back at work on desk duty since late February, and Pittsfield Township Police Chief Matt Harshberger said an internal investigation is on hold pending the outcome of the new review.

1 comment:

  1. Retired N/W Indiana street cop... Thousands of stops. Clean as they come.

    ReplyDelete