The released bodycam footage from the Detroit Police Department has stirred significant contention from community advocates and family members following a fatal shooting by a bailiff during an eviction on July 12. The footage details the moment a 36th District Court bailiff shot Sherman Butler, a 44-year-old Detroit resident, who was being evicted from his apartment in the 17600 block of Manderson Road, as reported by CBS News Detroit.
The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office stated on December 3 that the bailiff, who was attempting to carry out the eviction, acted in self-defense and would not be charged. The prosecutor's decision cited body-worn camera footage indicating the eviction team's efforts to resolve the situation peacefully, as reported by The Detroit News. However, advocates, such as the Detroit Tenants Association and Detroit Eviction Defense, have condemned the use of deadly force with Robert Day, a member of the latter group calling the incident, "brutal, violent murder for no reason."
In the video, Butler is shown holding a box cutter to his neck, defying officers to leave his apartment. Despite this, the bailiff and police are heard attempting to negotiate, even as they breach the door with firearms drawn. Body camera footage further reveals the bailiff asking Butler to drop the weapon and seeking to de-escalate the situation, according to The Detroit News. However, Butler resisted and was subdued by a Taser, which was ineffective, leading to him moving toward the bailiff with the box cutter.
Following the Taser deployment and the resultant shooting, Butler's cousin, Delrhonda Hood, expressed distress over the released footage, especially as it coincides with what would have been Butler's birthday and the holiday season. "Sherman is a human being. Sherman has family that love him," Hood told The Detroit News, capturing the emotional response Butler's loved ones have to the graphic nature of the incident caught on camera.
