DETROIT (AP) — The video starts with an uncooperative teen questioning why he was pulled over for flashing his high beams at a police officer. It ends with a dizzying tumble of images and the sound of gunshots that killed the young driver.
Now a Michigan court will have to sort out who’s to blame in a deadly police shooting that began with a simple traffic stop and no hint of violence.
Deven Guilford, 17, had just finished playing basketball at his church and was driving to see his girlfriend on the evening of Feb. 28 when he was stopped by a sheriff’s deputy in Roxand Township, a small community west of Lansing.
At least two drivers were pulled over that night by Sgt. Jonathan Frost for flashing high beams at the officer’s SUV. The officer and the teen driver passed each other going opposite directions on a highway, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in federal court by Guilford’s family.
The younger driver asked why he was stopped and insisted the officer’s high beams were on. Frost said the SUV was new and the lights were brighter than on other vehicles. He repeatedly demanded the teen show his driver’s license and vehicle registration.
