Murder charge dismissed in officer's hit-and-run death
DETROIT (AP) — A judge has dismissed a second-degree murder charge against a motorist in the hit-and-run death of a Detroit police officer.
The Wayne County prosecutor's office said Tuesday that 19-year-old Jonathan Cole was ordered to stand trial for reckless driving causing death and failure to stop at the scene of an accident.
Officer Fadi Shukur was hit Aug. 4 while helping disperse a crowd after a party. He died of his injuries.
Judge Kenneth King ruled in the 36th District Court that the only aggravating factor presented in the case was speed, and concluded there was insufficient evidence to bond Cole over on second-degree murder.
The prosecutor's office says it will try to reinstate the murder charge.