Detroit, MI
Lawsuit claims Detroit police officer killed ‘restrained, defenseless’ dog in search
Detroit — A Detroit woman and her two adult sons are suing the city of Detroit and a group of Detroit police officers, claiming one of them killed the family’s dog for no reason before the residents were taken into custody without probable cause.
The incident happened Jan. 2, 2023, when Officer Austin Rymarz and five other “John Doe” officers executed a search warrant at a house on Roosevelt Street on Detroit’s west side, according to the 15-page lawsuit that was filed March 3 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Attorney Cyril C. Hall told The Detroit News the officers handcuffed his clients, Lashaye Taylor and her adult sons Desjuan Taylor and Saron Blanding, after falsely claiming there was a warrant for their arrest.
Lashaye Taylor was held in a squad car “for several hours,” while Desjuan Taylor and Blanding were held in the Detroit Detention Center for four days before being released without charges, Hall said.
“There was never any warrant,” Hall said. “None of them have been charged with any crimes related to those unlawful arrests.”
While carrying out the search warrant, the lawsuit accused Rymarz of fatally shooting Lashaye Taylor’s dog while it “was restrained, defenseless, and posed no immediate danger.”
Detroit police spokesman Vic Pratt said the department couldn’t discuss the specific details of the incident, citing the ongoing lawsuit.
“However, the DPD can confirm that incidents involving high-risk search warrants are extremely dangerous and require officers to make split-second judgment calls regarding potential threats,” Pratt said in a statement. “Unfortunately, aggressive animals are sometimes posted near doors to alert the occupants that police have arrived and to prevent officers from entering the location. Pursuant to DPD policy, physical force against any animal will be used only to prevent harm or injury to a person. This matter will be referred to the City Law Department for proper action.”
According to the lawsuit, the dog was chained to a fence in Lashaye Taylor’s yard during the raid, and “posed no threat to the officers. The dog could not have reached or attacked officers due to the chain’s length. Police body camera footage and trial testimony confirm that the dog remained in its position and did not advance toward any officers.
“Lashaye Taylor and her son Terrance Blanding told (the) officers that they could remove dog in front,” the lawsuit said. “Shortly thereafter, (Lashaye Taylor) heard flashbang and three shots from (a) firearm causing (her) to scream.”
The lawsuit, which does not specify the amount of damages sought, alleges the officers violated the plaintiffs’ Fourth Amendment rights, and claims the city failed to properly train and supervise the officers.
Hall told The News he received body-worn camera footage and transcripts from Rymarz’s trial board, during which he admitted under cross-examination, “I could see that (the dog) was attached to something,” and that “he did not know how far the chain reached.”
“Despite Defendant Rymarz’s observation, he fired three shots, killing the dog,” the lawsuit said. “The dog was restrained, defenseless, and posed no immediate danger. Officer Rymarz later falsely claimed the dog was aggressive and advancing, despite video evidence contradicting this assertion. He testified, ‘The dog was in the same spot before and after the shooting.’”
The lawsuit accused the officers of violating the Detroit Police Department’s Dangerous Animal Policy, which states that “an officer shall not discharge a firearm at a dog or other animal, except to protect a member or person from imminent physical injury and there is no opportunity to retreat or other reasonable means to eliminate the threat.”
The policy further requires that “before using deadly force, every attempt will be made to use other reasonable means to contain the threat of a dangerous animal.”
The lawsuit also accused the officers of removing the dog’s remains without the owner’s consent, and failing to follow the department’s reporting requirements for the destruction of an animal.
The lawsuit is the latest to accuse Detroit police officers of unnecessarily killing dogs. In 2023, a woman claimed in a federal lawsuit that a Detroit police officer unlawfully entered her backyard and fatally shot her dog. A 2019 lawsuit claims officers shot a woman’s two dogs without cause, killing one of them.
The city in 2015 agreed to settle a $100,000 lawsuit with a man after police shot his dog while it was chained to a fence.
ghunter@detroitnews.com
(313) 222-2134
@GeorgeHunter_DN
(FOX 2) – Twerking for your vote? Getting people to the poles? Making cheeks blush in an attempt to clench votes?
The puns write themselves, but that doesn’t mean Shelbie Campbell is any less serious about her run for Congress. The candidate is leaning on her social media following and leveraging provacative posts to build momentum for a shot at Michigan’s 13th Congressional District.
Big picture view:
A dive into Campbell’s TikTok reveals a mixture of dance videos and political commentary.
But the short clips are only a window into what is a very serious campaign for office. She advocates for women in leadership, arguing Detroit hasn’t had female representation in decades.
She wants education reform and systemic fixes to housing and health care.
And as a line worker and third-generation UAW member, she is in favor of better wages for the service and labor industry.
Dig deeper:
Campbell is currently in law school at Detroit Mercy. While she is not shy about her background — going as far as to post four separate mug shots from previous arrests — the 32-year-old single mom says accountability is “the only way to learn from our mistakes and grow together as a community.”
And in her pitch to voters deciding between her and incumbent Shri Thanedar, she said he has a hard time empathizing with those considering who to head to the polls for.
“I just want younger people in office and he’s a millionaire and I don’t have that and he does so it’s very hard for him to relate to the people,” she told FOX 2.
Twerking for votes
Campbell also does not plan to stop posting videos. Sex sells and in her eyes, it’s not a bad way to build her brand.
“I don’t do OnlyFans like everyone keeps saying. I was just having fun, I’m young and I’m taking advantage of social media,” she said.
In one video, she seizes on one of the many derogatory terms that others have called her.
“They were calling me a c*** so I just like to be sarcastic and if you’re going to call me names I’m going to make you feel awkward for doing so,” she said. “I’m just going to dish it back because why do you think you can talk to me like that?”
The other side:
FOX 2 reached out to Thanedar’s campaign for comment.
The Source: An interview with the candidate was cited for this story.
Lions 2026 schedule manageable, but final 4 games will decide it all
A couple quick thoughts from Dave Birkett on the Detroit Lions’ 2026 schedule release, Thursday, May 14.
The Detroit Lions filled most of their biggest needs in last month’s NFL draft. They landed a new starting right tackle, a new rotational defensive end and depth help at linebacker, defensive tackle, cornerback and wide receiver.
The Lions have one of the most complete rosters in the NFL, but the offseason’s not over. Training camps are still more than two months away and they sit $23.6 million under the salary cap, according to NFL Players Association records, the 14th-most available cap space in the NFL.
The Lions do not appear poised to make any notable additions before the league goes on hiatus next month, but they have the flexibility to do so if necessary.
Here are five players they can spend their money on to bolster their roster for 2026:
DE Cam Jordan
The Lions signed DJ Wonnum in free agency and traded up to take Derrick Moore in the second round of the draft. With Aidan Hutchinson locked in at one defensive end spot and Levi Onwuzurike capable of playing the big end role, the Lions have the makings of a solid group of edge rushers. But Moore’s a rookie, and Onwuzurike’s missed more games (43) than he’s played (42) in his five-year career, so there’s reason to believe the Lions still could use insurance at the position.
Jordan is more than insurance. He’s an eight-time Pro Bowler who had 10½ sacks last season at age 36 and won’t play cheap this fall. But he’s still a free agent, and until he signs, he’ll be considered the best fit for the Lions defense given his pass-rushing profile and familiarity with Dan Campbell from their days together with the New Orleans Saints.
DE Jadeveon Clowney
Sticking with the defensive end position, Clowney, like Jordan, is an aging pass rusher – he’ll play this fall at 33 years old – who can collapse a pocket and still showed the ability to get to the quarterback with 8½ sacks for the Dallas Cowboys last year.
If the Lions add another big end, that would free Onwuzurike up to play more inside, where the Lions have several young sub-package rushers (Mekhi Wingo and 2026 draft picks Tyre West and Skyler Gill-Howard) but little proven depth behind starters Alim McNeill and Tyleik Williams.
TE Will Dissly
The Lions missed on the chance to add a tight end in the draft with Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright and Tyler Conklin all on expiring contracts, but my sense is they feel comfortable at the position for 2026 after losing LaPorta and Wright to season-ending injuries last year.
If that changes, Dissly would be the best fit among the tight ends still left in free agency, assuming he’s healthy. Dissly is not the same pass-catching weapon as Jonnu Smith, and he wouldn’t bring the familiarity of Taysom Hill (with Campbell) or Pharoah Brown (with offensive coordinator Drew Petzing), but he’s one of the best run-blocking tight ends in football and did have 50 catches two years ago for the Los Angeles Chargers.
CB Trevon Diggs
I don’t know what Diggs has left in his body after a couple injury-filled seasons. He split his time last year between the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers and allowed a passer rating of 154.2, according to Pro Football Reference.
Diggs is a long way removed from the 11-interception season he had in 2021, but at 27 years old, he’s a reclamation project some team will take a chance on this summer. The Lions have Rock Ya-Sin and Ennis Rakestraw waiting in the wings behind starters D.J. Reed and Terrion Arnold. I’d take both those players over Diggs. But if they suddenly need more depth at cornerback, Diggs is a better roll of the dice than other available free agents like Marshon Lattimore and L’Jarius Sneed.
NT Daniel Ekuale
The Lions signed Jay Tufele to a minimum deal after the draft to be their backup nose tackle. Tufele made two starts last season for the New York Jets and at 26 years old is younger than anyone on this list. He also missed the end of last season with a foot injury and has a half-sack total in his career.
If the Lions need another option at the nose tackle spot, Ekuale was a part-time player for the Pittsburgh Steelers last year who made 16 starts for the New England Patriots in 2024. He’s a big run stuffer who won’t dent the salary cap and would give the Lions another veteran option behind Williams.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
Detroit — For the eighth time in 10 seasons, the top seed in the Eastern Conference has failed to reach the NBA Finals.
The Detroit Pistons are the latest, after seeing their season end Sunday night with a 125-94 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals in front of a sellout crowd inside Little Caesars Arena.
BOX SCORE: Cavaliers 125, Pistons 94
The Pistons had their poorest performance of the season at a critical moment. Four players scored in double figures, with Daniss Jenkins leading the way with 17 points and five assists.
Cade Cunningham finished with a career-playoff low of 13 points on 5-for-16 shooting, 0-for-7 from behind the arc, to go along with five assists and four rebounds in 37 minutes. Duncan Robinson added 13 points off the bench, while Caris LeVert finished with 11, also off the bench.
Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 26 points, adding eight assists and seven rebounds. However, much of the Cavaliers’ offensive success came from Jarrett Allen and Sam Merrill, who each scored 23 points. Merrill shot 5-for-8 from behind the arc, all coming within the first half.
The Cavaliers held a 64-47 halftime lead, and at one point, led by as many as 35 points.
coty.davis@detroitnews.com
@cotydavis_24
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