KENTWOOD, Mich. — Shouting so all in the cold parking lot could hear them, the family of Samuel Sterling and other supporters called for footage of the deadly incident to be released and demanded the law enforcement officer behind the wheel be named.
"No justice! No peace! No justice! No peace!" The crowd cried out in a call-and-response.
On Wednesday, the 25-year-old man died after being hit by an unmarked patrol car driven by a member the Michigan State Police Sixth District Fugitive Team. Police say Sterling had an active warrant and claim they attempted to arrest him at a gas station before he ran from the fugitive team, leading to a short chase that culminated in the deadly crash.
"He wasn't a murderer. He didn't kill nobody," said Mikeya Sterling, Samuel's sister. "My brother was loved."
READ MORE: Family of Samuel Sterling remembers 25-year-old killed
During the Saturday afternoon gathering, family members remembered Sterling as someone who could "play every sport" and someone with a smile that would "make my day in the morning."
"We're broken," Mikeya said. "This was our baby brother."
"He didn't hit my cousin, he killed my cousin," said Jermar Sterling. "Report it as is."
State police released an official statement Thursday, saying the investigation into the deadly interaction will be “thorough and objective.”
READ MORE: MSP releases official statement after man hit, killed by unmarked cruiser
Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube
