Prosecutors will not charge bailiff in fatal shooting of Detroit man

(CBS DETROIT)The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office said on Tuesday that a bailiff who shot and killed a Detroit man during an eviction over the summer will not face charges.

On July 12, 2024, the bailiff tried to remove Sherman Butler, 44, but the prosecution concluded that he acted in self-defense.

When the bailiff from the 36th District Court reported that Butler was acting aggressively, two Detroit police officers were dispatched to an apartment in the 17600 block of Manderson Road. Butler was told by one of the cops that he was being evicted. Butler “made multiple statements that the only way he was leaving was if the officers used weapons and killed him,” according to a news release from the prosecution, while he was sitting on the bed with a box cutter next to his neck.

According to officials, Butler refused to drop the box cutter when the officers ordered a crisis intervention team. The officers used their taser at that point, but the man was unaffected. According to the prosecutor’s office, the bailiff fired rounds after Butler got out of bed and approached him with the box cutter. The bailiff fired again as Butler tried to approach one of the officers with the box cutter.

Butler was treated by the officers prior to being transported to the hospital, where he was declared dead, according to the prosecution.

“The alleged facts in this case are far too common and evinces a continued need for mental health crisis intervention teams,” said Kym Worthy, the prosecutor. “The police did contact a crisis intervention team, and the 36 District Court bailiff did attempt to deescalate Mr. Butler’s conduct, according to the body-worn camera footage. The bailiff had to defend himself and others before they arrived, though, and as a result, Mr. Butler is no longer alive. Under these conditions, the bailiff’s actions were not illegal.

Members of the Detroit Eviction Defense and Detroit Tenants Association urged in September that Detroit police make the body cam footage of the shooting public. Police, however, stated that since it was not an officer-involved shooting, they were under no need to make the video public.

At CBS Detroit, DeJanay Booth-Singleton works as a digital producer. She discusses a range of subjects, including politics, business, and crime.

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