By Police1 Staff
CHARLOTTE, Mich. — The Eaton County Sheriff’s officer who fatally shot 17-year-old Deven Guilford acted in accordance with the law, a judge ruled.
Prosecutor Doug Lloyd reviewed both footage from Sgt. Jonathan Frost’s body camera and Guilford’s cell phone, which he used to film the traffic stop, Lansing State Journal reports.
Both videos clearly show the start of the February altercation, but both cameras were knocked off before Guilford was shot seven times.
“No one wins in these particular situations, but it’s the prosecutor’s responsibility to look at the facts, make a determination from the facts — was there a crime or was there not a crime?” Lloyd said to the publication.
Guilford was pulled over for flashing his brights at an oncoming vehicle closer than 500 feet. He refused to show Frost identification or proof of insurance. He refused to put his hands behind his back when the officer attempted to arrest him, resulting in use of an ECD.
When the device was ineffective, the altercation moved to a ditch beside the road. Guilford, on his back, began punching the officer in the face. Frost reported that his mouth was full of blood and that was about to lose consciousness when he reached for his firearm.
With Frost’s body camera knocked off, and Guilford’s cellphone on the pavement, only audio from the phone captured the shooting.
Toxicology reports would later show that Guilford had small traces of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, in his system.
The family of Guilford told the Lansing State Journal they will file a civil lawsuit in federal court against Frost.