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Two men arrested for the killing of an Oakland County sheriff’s deputy had previously had conflicts with police

Gillberg
Two men arrested for the killing of an Oakland County sheriff’s deputy had previously had conflicts with police

Two of the three men in custody for the alleged killing of an Oakland County sheriff’s deputy Saturday night were in possession of illegal weapons when they were arrested three months ago following a traffic stop in Troy. The chase through several jurisdictions ended in a high-speed chase, according to statements from law enforcement officials and the three men’s attorneys.

The alleged 18-year-old driver was given a $111,000 bail after Troy detectives argued during his March 28 arraignment on charges of carrying a concealed weapon and fleeing from police that the defendant was also being investigated for a car theft, said his attorney Gabi Silver.

But District Judge Kirsten Hartig, in a 52-4 majority, later ordered bail reduced to $20,000 and placed the man in shackles. The judge ordered the shackles removed on April 30 after an Oakland County Pretrial Services report said the man had complied with court orders, Silver said.

The second man arrested Saturday is also believed to be involved in the March incident. The 18-year-old was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and ordered held on $10,000 bail, court records show.

Because the men have not been charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Oakland County Sheriff’s Deputy Bradley Reckling, The Detroit News is not naming them. Silver and the other man’s attorney, Daniel Gross, told The News on Tuesday that they were aware their clients had been arrested in connection with Reckling’s death, though the attorneys said they are not representing the men in that case.

According to court documents, the driver’s bail was revoked on Monday. Gross also said he expects “an emergency hearing soon” to revoke his client’s bail following his arrest in connection with Reckling’s shooting death.

Wayne County Assistant District Attorney Maria Miller said Tuesday her office has not received a warrant for murder charges in connection with the killing of the deputy sheriff in east Detroit.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard declined to comment before the men were arraigned, but said he would have “a lot to say” after the arraignment.

Reckling, who has been on the force for nine years, was part of an auto theft prevention unit pursuing a stolen 2022 Chevrolet Equinox in Detroit on Saturday when the car stopped and its occupants opened fire, according to Bouchard. Reckling, 30, was shot in the head and chest. He later succumbed to his injuries, leaving behind a pregnant wife and three daughters.

Three men were arrested after Detroit police and Michigan State Police set up a cordon near Park Grove and Schoenher on Detroit’s east side and flooded the area with police and patrol officers, Bouchard said.

Michigan law requires arrestees to be released if no charges are filed within 72 hours of their arrest. However, the two men are reportedly being held in connection with the CCW case. The status of the third suspect was unclear Tuesday.

Chase with the police

Three months ago, two of the suspects were allegedly involved in another chase involving multiple police agencies and a Michigan State Police helicopter that began with a speeding violation, according to their attorneys and Troy Police Sergeant Ben Hancock.

The incident began around 10:30 p.m. on March 26, when a Troy police officer on traffic duty on Big Beaver Road near John R. noticed a gray Chrysler 300 speeding and repeatedly weaving in traffic, Hancock said.

“The officer was able to catch up to the vehicle at the intersection of Big Beaver and Dequindre,” Hancock said. “As he attempted to make a traffic stop, the vehicle sped off at a high rate of speed and headed south on Dequindre. When they reached Maple, the officer terminated the pursuit for safety reasons.”

The next day, Troy police detectives spotted the Chrysler 300 on 14 Mile near the Interstate 75 exit, Hancock said.

“The detectives followed them,” Hancock said. “It wasn’t a chase, it was just plainclothes detectives following the car into Detroit. They tried to corner the car, and the driver kept driving to get out of the corner, but he couldn’t.”

Both men jumped out of the car and fled, Hancock said.

“There was a brief foot chase between the driver and the passenger,” Hancock said. “The Michigan State Police helicopter was activated and they observed (the passenger) discard a handgun while running and get into a car that was parked on the street. (The driver) then got into the same car and the helicopter followed them through several side streets in Detroit.”

The vehicle sped onto Interstate 94 eastbound before exiting at 11 Mile in Roseville, Hancock said. Officers from Roseville and St. Clair Shores stopped the car near 13 Mile and Little Mack and both men were arrested. A handgun was recovered from the driver.

Both men were charged with carrying a concealed weapon, while the driver was also charged with eluding police and driving without a license, court records show. During court hearings, cops said they suspected the defendants were also involved in a car theft, Silver said.

What happened to the suspects’ bail?

During the March 28 arraignment in Troy District Court 52-4, Judge Sheldon Larky set the driver’s bail at $111,000, although District Judge Hartig ordered a $20,000 personal bond and a shackle on April 9. On April 30, Hartig ordered the shackle removed after a report from Pretrial Services showed the defendant had complied with all of his shackle requirements, Silver said.

“It’s horrible what happened and what these new charges are,” Silver said of the deputy’s death. “People want to go back and play ‘what if,’ and I understand that. But this was not an assault offense and the bail was set too high to begin with. Police said they had linked (the defendants) to a car theft, but they never charged them. So it’s unfair to blindside a judge on a bail decision in a non-assault crime.”

After The News left a message at Judge Hartig’s office, Jennifer Phillips, the administrator of District Court 52-4, said she could provide documents related to the outcome of the case but declined to comment.

Reckling leaves behind his wife, Jacqueline, and daughters, ages 5, 4 and 1. His wife is expecting another child, Bouchard said.

Reckling is the seventh Oakland County Sheriff’s deputy to be killed in the line of duty.

“This was the first line-of-duty death from assault in 82 years,” said Stephen Huber, spokesman for the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.

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