Three Detroit officers charged in separate police brutality cases yesterday in Wayne County were arraigned on charges Thursday in 36th District Court in Detroit.
ATV Death
A lawyer has entered a not-guilty plea for a former Michigan state trooper charged in the death of a Detroit teen and says they'll face the case "head-on."
A magistrate set bond at $1 million for Mark Bessner. He appeared in court Thursday, a day after he was charged with second-degree murder. Bessner fired his Taser at Damon Grimes while trying to stop the 15-year-old from driving an all-terrain vehicle on a Detroit street in August.
The teen crashed the vehicle and died.
Bessner deferred to his attorney, Richard Convertino, and didn't speak in court. Convertino asked that his client be released without posting any money, but Magistrate Bari Blake Wood disagreed.
Bessner quit the state police in September.
Gas Station Assault
Another case involves Detroit Police officer Richard Billingslea. Billingslea was arraigned on multiple felony assault charges. He was allegedly seen beating and pepper spraying a man in an incident caught on cell phone camera at a Detroit gas station.
A $5,000 bond was set for Billingslea.
Meijer Assault
Detroit Police officer Lonnie Wade was arraigned on charges connected to a violent incident at a Meijer on 8 Mile in October. It was also caught on camera. He was off-duty and working security at the time and beat a man he suspected of shoplifting with a baton.
Wade is charged with assault, obstruction of justice and misconduct in office. He was given a $50,000 bond and a GPS tether.
