By Ronald J. Hansen
The Detroit News
DETROIT — A Detroit police officer who gunned down a teenager outside the February funeral of another slaying victim was cleared of wrongdoing Wednesday, the Wayne County prosecutor said.
Artrell Dickerson, 18, had a loaded .38-caliber pistol, three packets of cocaine and a felony warrant for his arrest at the time Officer Kata-Ante Taylor shot him three times, including twice in the back, said Prosecutor Kym Worthy. Civilian and police witnesses made clear that Dickerson was fleeing with a weapon, Worthy said.
Taylor told investigators that Dickerson turned and pointed the gun at him, prompting him to shoot.
“He did not drop the gun when ordered to do so. Both civilian witnesses — that’s critically important — and police witnesses report Mr. Dickerson in possession of this gun and corroborate Mr. Dickerson displaying this particular gun,” Worthy said. “Officer Taylor acted in self-defense.”
Dickerson’s mother, Ruth Dickerson, was indignant when Worthy told her there would be no charges.
“I got up and left” Worthy’s office, Dickerson said. “Why does my son have to get shot in the back? There’s no justification for him being dead. It was plain murder. They planted that gun on my son.”
Dickerson and Patrick McCree were suspected of threatening people inside the Cantrell Funeral Home on Mack at St. Clair during funeral services for Dontell Martin, a career criminal who died after he was shot 13 times outside a nightclub. McCree handed his weapon to Dickerson, witnesses said.
The Feb. 12 incident has revived concerns by the Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality that shootings by police remain alarmingly high. Earlier Wednesday, protesters picketed outside Worthy’s office.
The department remains under the supervision of a federal court-appointed monitor after years of problems with the use of deadly force and prisoners dying in police custody.
Officers in the department have faced a spate of criminal allegations this year, ranging from to extortion to sexual assault to stealing 13 pounds of cocaine.
But in the Dickerson case, Worthy painted a striking contrast between the officer and the man he shot.
Taylor is an eight-year veteran of the department and has had no prior shooting incidents, Worthy said. Dickerson, who had alcohol in his system despite being underage, failed to appear in court for a domestic assault charge that he had attacked his mother.
Copyright 2007 Detroit News