KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Charges are pending for the brothers involved in an alleged throat-grab incident with a Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety sergeant that was recorded on a witness' cell phone. According to the Churchwell family, the sergeant in-question grabbed their 20-year-old son by the throat on July 10 when he learned of his younger brother’s arrest happening near their home.
“Charges against Mr. Churchwell, Diante Churchwell, were authorized by my office the day after the incident happened,” said Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting. “This happened on July 10th and charges of attempted resisting and obstructing were authorized on July 11.”
Getting said his office has reviewed the case since it was first submitted to them on the night of the incident. They returned it to police the next day in order to complete the investigation and waited for lab work to return on an unknown substance allegedly found on the younger brother 17-year-old Antonio at that time.
“We want to make sure that we know what substances we’re dealing with before we make charges,” said Getting. “We might think that’s it’s cocaine but we want to know that it is before I accuse someone of being illegally in possession of cocaine. That’s what happened in Antonio Churchwell’s case.”
KDPS Police Chief Jeff Hadley said the internal investigation regarding the incident and the sergeant in question has concluded. The department will release their findings in the near future.
