The Ypsilanti Courier
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Complaint sheds light on Lee's death
By Dan DuChene, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: May 31, 2007
A year after an Ypsilanti Township man's death, new information has surfaced from a change in the family's pending lawsuit.
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Clifton Lee Jr., 45, died after a confrontation with Washtenaw County Sheriff's deputies on June 1, 2006 in the West Willow neighborhood of Ypsilanti Township. The cause of death, reported by Bader Cassin, Washtenaw County's medical examiner, was asphyxia due to the weight of several people pressing his chest against the ground.
The lawsuit, filed by two of Lee's daughters, alleges wrongful death and police brutality. Washtenaw County had been the sole defendant. However, the complaint now lists Aaron Hendricks, Christopher Campbell, Thomas Guynes, Michael Mahalik, Jeffery Hankamp and Joseph Eberle as additional defendants. Washtenaw County Sheriff's Cmdr. Dave Egeler confirmed the individuals listed as deputies.
He said three of the deputies are on paid administrative leave. Two of those were put on leave as of the date of Lee's death. The third, he said, was placed on leave earlier this year.
Those and other changes come after the family's attorney, Paul Broschay, filed a subpoena with the Michigan State Police, who had been conducting an investigation into the event.
After the case had been handed over to the Washtenaw County Prosecutor in Sept. 2006, the FBI took over the investigation.
The incident originally took place around 1:30 a.m. near the intersection of Eugene and Cayuga avenues. Lee's nephew, James, and passenger, Antoine Tubbs, were pulled over by two deputies.
Hendricks and Campbell are named in the complaint as the two deputies who initiating the traffic stop. The complaint said Lee approached the scene with two other individuals, who were then instructed to leave by Campbell.
It said Campbell then became involved in a struggle with one of the three people, Bruce Lee. At that point, the complaint alleges that Hendricks pulled his weapon and instructed the other two to leave.
"While the defendant, Campbell, continued to assault and batter Bruce Lee, the deceased Clifton Lee Jr. requested that the defendants stop the assault on Bruce Lee," the complaint said. "Clifton Lee Jr. then continued to walk from the scene... towards his residence."
The complaint then said the remaining defendants arrived on the scene, forced Lee to the ground, hit and kicked him and used chemical spray in his face and mouth.
"Then viciously placed his hand or hands over Clifton Lee Jr.'s mouth and nose making it impossible for him to breathe," the family's complaint said.
There has not been a formal date set for the lawsuit, which is requesting more than $75,000.
Egeler said the Washtenaw County Sheriffs are planning to conduct their own internal policy investigation into the situation after the FBI has finished their investigation.
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