Articles Posted in Weapons Charges

A Wayne County Jury returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty for a Detroit man charged with seven felonies on July 17, 2019. Eric Coleman, 27, of Detroit, Michigan, was charged with the following offenses: Discharge of Firearm in a building Causing Injury, Assault with Intent to do Great Bodily Harm, Felonious Assault, False Report of a Felony and three counts of Felony Firearm.

In a case that had garnered a lot of media attention, the defense team of William Amadeo and Peter Winter utilized Michigan’s Castle Doctrine in their advocacy of Coleman. The successful use of the Castle Doctrine has garnered the attention of gun advocates across the state.

Amadeo, a partner at “McManus and Amadeo” in Ann Arbor, Michigan and a Senior Associate for Grabel and Associates in Lansing, Michigan was lead counsel on the case. When asked about the “Castle Doctrine,” Amadeo stated, “Pete Winter and I worked around the clock on this defense. With Michigan being a “stand your ground” state, we presented a theory that our jury related to. Eric [Coleman] was the actual victim in this case, and, sadly, he had to fight for his freedom the way that he did, but in the end, justice prevailed.”

On Tuesday, August 25, a Detroit Police Officer who had been suspended after being accused of a drive-by shooting at a Ray Township assisted-living home was sentenced to prison. Clifford E. Gullion now faces a minimum of three years in prison, and termination from the Detroit Police Dept. is underway, according to a news article at Mlive.com.

Gullion allegedly opened fire on the assisted-living facility located near 29 Mile and Romeo Plank in April using a .40-caliber gun. He had been on medical leave from the police department for several months at the time the incident occurred. No one was hit by the gunfire.

The motive for the shooting appeared to be a dispute Gullion’s wife had with the husband of a patient living at the home; his wife is an in-home caretaker.

On Friday January 23, a 55-year-old man allegedly shot a Flint Township police officer after he was stopped for a traffic violation. That man, who has not been named pending his arraignment, is now facing charges of resisting and obstructing a police officer and carrying a concealed weapon, according to a news report at Mlive.com.

The incident occurred at approximately 10:30 p.m. at the Hometown Inn in the 3200 block of Miller Road. According to reports, the officer attempted to take the man into custody on multiple misdemeanor warrants, when the two became involved in a scuffle that resulted in the suspect pulling a gun before firing on the officer. The bullet struck the officer, who then called for backup. The injured officer was continuing to recover three days later, according to Flint Township Lt. James Baldwin. The suspect was also injured by return gunfire of the officer and backup officers who responded to the scene.

The officer who was injured and hospitalized works as a patrol officer, and has been with the force for two years.

Arthur L. Williams, a 25-year-old man charged with assault with intent to murder in a gas station shooting in September, is no longer facing charges after the alleged victim recanted the shooter’s ID, according to a news article at Mlive.com.

On September 6, a shooting occurred at a Speedway gas station in Buena Vista Township. At approximately 2 in the morning, a fight took place in the parking lot near the gas pumps which resulted in the victim being shot. Buena Vista Police Detective Sgt. Greg Klecker said that upon reviewing surveillance video of the altercation, detectives saw a group of men engage in a fight after several men and women arrived in the parking lot in separate vehicles. One of the men pulled away from the crowd before firing at the victim, who fell and then got up, ran away, and eventually sought medical treatment. The suspect in the shooting fled on foot, according to Klecker.

At his preliminary hearing on November 4, the victim recanted the identification of Williams as the shooter. Others who were involved in the fight would not cooperate with investigators, so the prosecutor’s office decided to drop the charges against Williams, according to Chief Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Boyd. Williams remains behind bars on a charge related to the case after he fled from police on foot as they attempted to capture him about one month after the shooting. He is charged with felony resisting and obstructing a police officer.

On September 15, 22-year-old Keith K. Solomon Jr. was sentenced to 36 years and three months to 65 years in prison after being convicted of seven felonies involving a shooting at the Birch Park apartment complex in May of 2013. Solomon was given credit for just over 16 months already served.

In July, Solomon was convicted of shooting Gerald Hudson at the apartment complex after the two men became involved in an altercation. According to a news article at Mlive.com, Hudson was sitting in van when Solomon, who was riding a bicycle, circled the van and eventually began speaking to two other people in the vicinity. Hudson got out of the van and shook one of the individual’s hands before walking back toward the van, when Solomon decided to follow him. Hudson then turned toward Solomon, raised his fists, and told Solomon he did not want to fight. Solomon replied to Hudson that he (Hudson) wasn’t going to knock him out like he did Solomon’s cousin, upon which he pulled a handgun and shot Hudson.

Hudson recovered from his injuries and was able to testify at Solomon’s trial. In addition to his conviction for assault, Solomon was found guilty of possessing a firearm as a felon, carrying a concealed weapon, carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent, and three felony firearm counts as a second time offender. In November, Solomon turned down a plea agreement which would have resulted in a minimum 20 year sentence.