Family seeks transparency as teen hit by police cruiser is laid to rest
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A month and a half after a 17-year-old was hit by a Kent County deputy’s cruiser during a foot chase, his family has yet to see video of the incident or a police report.
“It’s really hard to fully grieve the process without knowing what happened, knowing why it happened,” said Becky Wilbert, the mother of Riley Doggett.
Teen dies weeks after being hit by deputy’s cruiser
Her son was struck in Wyoming on April 8 when Kent County sheriff’s deputies tried to pull over a vehicle they believed was stolen and connected to several crimes in the county. According to the teen’s death certificate, Doggett suffered a traumatic brain injury. He spent a month at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital and died on May 9.
“Riley was a good kid. Regardless of what happened, he was a good kid,” Wilbert said during a press conference Friday morning, ahead of Doggett’s funeral.
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Though funerals often offer a bit of closure for loved ones, Doggett’s family is far from it.
“We don’t have answers, so it’s really hard,” his mother said. “Like, yes, we’re closing one part of this story, but there’s so much more to it. Until we know what happened … exactly what happened and why, I don’t think we’re all going to be able to grieve properly.”
Attorney Ven Johnson, who is representing the family along with civil rights attorney Ben Crump, called it “shameful” and “disrespectful” that the video of the incident has not been released to the family or the public.
“Before the four-year anniversary of George Floyd’s death, I think it is horribly, horribly ironic,” Johnson said during the press conference.
Record: Death of teen hit by cruiser an ‘accident’
Johnson also referenced the case of Patrick Lyoya, in which Grand Rapids police released video of the shooting a week and a half after it happened. Video of Samuel Sterling, being hit by an unmarked MSP cruiser nine days after Doggett, was released a little more than three weeks later.
“The public deserves to know. If there’s not a video, which there is, then tell us that and tell us why not and then hold the officer accountable if there isn’t,” Johnson said. “And they should have had one. That’s if. If there isn’t video, which you all know there is, if it’s bad for you and your side should not be a deciding factor on how long you can hold on to it.”
That’s why he’s now calling on the Michigan legislature to amend the Freedom of Information Act request law.
“I think that our public officials should have no more than 14 days after an event to release the videos, and then it’s out of their hands. They should not be allowed to hide this from the families, hide this from the public. These are public documents. These are public-owned pieces of equipment that record for a reason,” said Johnson. “If we’re going to use this ‘T word’ transparency in every one of these situations, how about we actually mean it and we put our actions where our mouths are?”
Family looks for answers after 17-year-old hit by sheriff’s vehicle
On June 5, Johnson, former Kent County Commissioner Robert S. Womack and several others will hold a rally at the capitol in Lansing to demand justice for Sterling.
“A lot of what we’re going to ask for is also going to be to support the Doggett family. Because when it comes to the juvenile records, when it comes to the FOIA request, when it comes to disrespecting of the family, we need legislature to step in to make sure that these families are treated fair,” Womack said.
The Kent County Sheriff’s Office previously said Doggett was “unintentionally struck” and that it was “a direct result of the inherent risk accompanying the serious criminal activity that Riley was engaged in during the weeks and months leading up to this incident.”
Reports: Police watched group before teen hit by cruiser during chase
Johnson argued that’s not for them to decide.
“(Doggett’s) family would be the first ones to tell you that if, if that’s what he was doing and if there were charges, he should have faced the consequences. They’d be the first ones to admit that,” Johnson said. “But what he didn’t deserve was somebody being judge, jury, and execution with that car and running them over.”
A private autopsy has been conducted, Johnson said, and he is awaiting the results.
Wilbert said almost all the information she’s learned about her son and his death has come from news reporting.
“I’ve asked the Michigan State Police when they’ve called for medical updates but they don’t, they didn’t want to give me any information,” Wilbert said.
Family of teen hit by deputy: ‘No reason’ video isn’t out
State police investigated the death. Now, it’s up to Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker to decide if the deputy who hit Doggett will face criminal charges. That deputy is on paid administrative leave amid the investigation.
News 8 asked Becker Friday why the family hasn’t been given updates on the case. In an email, Becker wrote that it’s an ongoing process and that his office has been working on it with MSP.
Kent County Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young said Friday that she expects the video will be released when the prosecutor makes a ruling. Becker said he did not have a timeline on when that might happen.
Doggett’s funeral will be held at 5 p.m. Friday at Stroo Funeral Home at 1095 68th St. SE in Grand Rapids.
Johnson asked for the public’s thoughts and prayers.
“Let’s live by the golden rule. Please act in a way of how you would want someone to treat you, God forbid, if this ever happened to you and your child. Doesn’t make anything that Riley did or didn’t do right or wrong, what it makes is that the family not be punished for it now,” Johnson said.
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