Detroit Police, community activists, and the family of 14-year veteran Detroit Police Sgt. Elaine Williams called a news conference to call for accountability of Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Lawrence Talon.
Last Thursday Judge Talon granted a medical compassionate release for Eddie Ray Johnson Junior who was charged with 1st Degree Premeditated Murder in the shooting death of Sgt. Williams in June of 2019 in the home they shared in Garden City. He was a live-in boyfriend. They shared a son together.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig said Williams was shot 5 times, and that Johnson took his son out of the house right before the shooting. His trial has been delayed because of COVID.
Keisha Kemble is Williams’ sister and talked during the news conference about Johnson and Judge Talon saying, “he didn’t have to look at my 5-year-old nephew and tell him his mother was dead. And watch the tears roll out of his eyes.”
Chief Craig says Judge Talon allowed Johnson to be released on a $10,000 bond and a GPS tether, similar to what non-violent offenders would get.
Chief Craig says the prosecutor submitted a long brief to stop the release. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy is appealing the release.
Chief Craig also says the trial in Minneapolis in the death of George Floyd shows that courts can resume jury trials safely even with COVID.
