GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A civil trial has been scheduled in the excessive force lawsuit stemming from the death of a man who was hit by a former Michigan State Police sergeant’s cruiser.
The jury trial in the lawsuit against Brian Keely is set to begin Nov. 2, 2026. It is expected to take between seven and 10 days.
Former MSP sgt. asks court to dismiss civil lawsuit
In the civil lawsuit filed in January, Samuel Sterling’s family alleged Keely violated his Fourth and 14th Amendment protections against excessive force and argued gross negligence and willful and wanton misconduct.
In Kentwood in April 2024, Sterling ran away from a task force seeking to arrest him. Officers chased him to a Burger King while Keely pursued in an unmarked cruiser. Video released by MSP shows Sterling being hit by Keely’s SUV near the restaurant’s entrance. Sterling, 25, was hospitalized and died hours later.
The Michigan Attorney General’s Office charged Keely with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. The case was later moved into federal court after a motion by the defense, which said it belonged there because Keely was acting as part of a U.S. Marshals task force when the death happened. In May of this year, a federal judge dismissed the criminal case. The AG’s Office has filed a notice to appeal that ruling.
Sterling family ‘sick,’ ‘devastated’ after judge tosses murder case
Earlier this month, Keely’s lawyers filed a motion to have the civil lawsuit tossed out, citing the dismissal of the criminal case…