KENTWOOD, Mich. — The civil lawsuit against former Michigan State Police Sergeant Brian Keely is now paused.
It's an order from a federal judge while the criminal case against Keely is appealed by the state.
This is all in connection to the April 2024 death of 25-year-old Samuel Sterling. Sterling ran when officers tried to arrest him on several outstanding felony warrants in Kentwood. While running through a parking lot, he was hit by the unmarked state police cruiser driven by Keely and died.
Keely was charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. In May of this year, a judge dismissed the criminal charges against Keely, saying he's entitled to immunity under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The State Attorney General's office appealed that decision.
At the same time, Keely also faces a civil case. The Sterling family filed a lawsuit against Keely seeking financial damages. Keely's lawyers argued that the civil and criminal cases are from the same incident, and involve factual and legal issues. They think if a civil trial moved forward as planned, it would force Keely to waive his Fifth Amendment Rights or forfeit his ability to defend himself.
The civil trial was originally expected to begin on Nov. 2, 2026. No date has been set for a ruling on the criminal case appeal.
