Damon Grimes (Family photo)
Damon Grimes (Family photo)
After months of public protests and investigations, Michigan State Trooper Mark Bessner has been charged with second-degree murder in the the Aug. 26 death of Damon Grimes, 15, who was tasered while riding his four-wheel All Terrain Vehicle, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office announced Wednesday.
Bessner was the passenger in a Michigan State Police (MSP) patrol car when he and his partner spotted Grimes riding his ATV down Reno and Fairmont Streets in Detroit. When the troopers attempted to stop Grimes for a traffic violation, a pursuit ensued.
At about 5:30 p.m., on Rossini Street, authorities allege that Bessner unnecessarily used his Taser on Grimes from the patrol car while Grimes was riding at a speed of 35 to 40 miles per hour. Grimes was struck by the Taser’s prongs and his ATV crashed into a truck parked on the street in the 14500 block of Rossini.
The teen was transported to a local hospital and pronounced dead at 5:58 p.m.
Besides second-degree murder, faces two counts of involuntary manslaughter.
"He may not have meant to kill him, but that doesn’t matter," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said, according to The Detroit News. "The classic law school test is, if you’re on top of a tall building, and you drop a safe down, you may not have intended to kill (someone), but you created a high risk of death."
