Security Guards Face Trial Over 2014 Mall Death

McKenzie Cochran died unarmed after altercation with mall guards
By Newser.AI Read our AI policy
Posted Aug 19, 2024 1:45 PM CDT
Security Guards Face Trial Over 2014 Mall Death
This undated booking photo provided by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department shows Lucius Hamilton, one of the four security guards facing trial in the death of an unarmed Black man who was pinned to the ground during a fierce struggle at a suburban Detroit shopping mall.   (Oakland County Sheriff’s Department via AP)

Three security guards are facing trial this week for the death of McKenzie Cochran, who was pinned down during a confrontation over ten years ago at Northland Center in suburban Detroit. Witnesses said Cochran, 25, was unarmed and pleaded "I can't breathe" while restrained on the ground after a dispute at a jewelry store escalated in 2014. This incident garnered renewed attention following the death of George Floyd in 2020, pressuring Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel to eventually file involuntary manslaughter charges in 2021.

Jury selection commenced on Monday, with one guard, Lucius Hamilton, already pleading guilty last Friday. Footage from the event is expected to play a key role in the trial, with state prosecutors asserting the use of excessive force by the guards led to Cochran's asphyxiation. Defense attorneys have argued the security guards acted in self-defense during a chaotic situation, claiming the case has been politicized and unfairly revived.

A pivotal witness for the prosecution, Dr. Carl Schmidt, reviewed autopsy records and suggested Cochran's death should likely be classified as a homicide. Schmidt noted that Cochran, who had an enlarged heart, might have survived if not restrained. Despite the determination of the previous Oakland County prosecutor that the guards' actions were negligent but not criminal, the current attorney general's office is pushing for these former guards to be held accountable for Cochran's death. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)

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