NEWS / Death certificate of Michigan teenage killed in police pursuit lists trauma as cause of death

The death certificate of Riley Doggett, a 17-year-old Michigan resident who died May 9 from injuries he sustain in a police chase a month prior has been released, listing “craniocerebral trauma” as the cause of death. The death certificate, released on May 20, also lists his manner of death as “accident”.

Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker will now examine the case to consider if criminal charges will be filed against the deputies involved in the incident.

On April 8, deputies with the Kent County Sheriff’s Office initiated a car chase with a vehicle occupied by Doggett and another individual. According to investigators, that vehicle had been stolen. At one point, their vehicle went off the road and hit a number of parked cars in the City of Wyoming. The 2 individuals in the stolen vehicle ran out, and Doggett ended up getting hit by a police cruiser. The teenager sustained injuries to his head and was taken to the ICU, where he died a month later.

“Every single police officer, including the one that ran over and killed my client, when they get on that witness stand, when I call them as a witness, they will admit to you that simply because he's running away, it does not give them the right to use deadly force,” Doggett family attorney Ven Johnson was quoted by Fox News 17 West Michigan as stating. “Using a car against a pedestrian is deadly force under the law. Can't do it.”

Doggett will be laid to rest in Grand Rapids on Friday, May 24, with a memorial service taking place at Stroo Funeral Home at 5 pm.