Kary Moss, ACLU of Michigan executive director, issued the following statement today after Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced her decision to clear an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in the controversial April killing of Detroit man Terrance Kellom:
“While we are still examining the prosecutor’s decision not to charge the agent in the killing of Terrance Kellom, we remain deeply troubled by many of the questions that remain: Why was a federal immigration agent with a troubled history sent to apprehend an American citizen instead of local officers who are part of that community and trained in community policing? Why couldn’t a task force staffed with several agents apprehend a lone 20-year-old without killing him—even if Mr. Kellom was holding a hammer as alleged? What steps will the police take to prevent a similar incident from occurring again?
“We believe that these and other questions are far too serious to leave unanswered. As a result, we reiterate our call for a federal investigation into the shooting death of Terrance Kellom and ask that the Detroit Fugitive Apprehension Task Force be suspended from working in Detroit neighborhoods until the public can be sure that these units are fit to police our communities.”
