Wayne County inmate to be tried in deputy's slaying

Oralandar Brand-Williams, The Detroit News
·1 min read

Feb. 26—A Wayne County Jail inmate was ordered Thursday to stand trial in the strangulation slaying of Wayne County sheriff's Cpl. Bryant Searcy.

Deandre Williams, 28, is charged with killing Searcy last September during a struggle inside the jail before Williams escaped. He was jail for an alleged carjacking.

Williams will stand trial on charges of first-degree murder, murdering a police officer and felony murder, unarmed robbery and escaping jail through violence. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.

Searcy, 50, was making his rounds about 10:15 p.m. Sept. 2 on the fourth floor of the Wayne County Jail when he was attacked by an inmate identified by authorities as Williams.

Searcy had closed a door to a cell he thought was locked and walked on before Williams allegedly attacked him. Another inmate told investigators that Williams planned the assault to escape from the jail.

Disturbing video of the attack was shown in court Thursday and viewed by 36th District Court Judge Ronald Giles, who bound Williams over to stand trial in Wayne County Circuit Court.

Williams is scheduled for an arraignment on information March 4 in the circuit court.