Fox 2 Detroit · October 14, 2026

Family of Sherman Butler Files $150 Million Federal Lawsuit Over July 2024 Eviction Shooting

• Sherman Butler was shot and killed in July 2024 during an eviction from an apartment near Palmer Park, according to the report; the report states he was holding a box cutter to his neck and that police called for a crisis intervention team.
• A $150 million lawsuit filed by Butler's family claims the crisis intervention team was on the way and that the bailiff and Detroit police escalated the situation instead of waiting, according to attorneys Maurice Davis and Dionne Webster-Cox as reported.
• The attorneys said a report from the Board of Police Commissioners found multiple violations, including failure to follow protocol, according to the report.
• The Wayne County Prosecutor declined to file charges against the bailiff, saying police tried to de-escalate the situation, Butler lunged at them, and the bailiff acted in self-defense, according to the report.

Lawsuit claims attributed to the family's attorneys as reported; the prosecutor's stated basis for declining charges is included above. Original headline: "Family of Detroit man who was shot by bailiff during mental health crisis files $150M lawsuit".