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Oscar Herrera

Age : 32

Gender : Male

Race : Latino/a/e

Date : 04/28/2021

Location : 6500 block South Edon Road

City : Reading

County : Hillsdale

State : Michigan

Agency : Hillsdale County Sheriff's Office

Officer(s) :Adam Burlew

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Resident and his dog killed by police on dog ordnance call

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

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NARRATIVE:
On 04/28/2021, Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Deputy Adam Burlew went to Oscar Herrera’s home in Reading Township after a complaint about a loose dog. When Burlew arrived, Herrera and his 13-year-old dog Rico were inside the house. Herrera had not been accused of a crime.
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When Herrera opened the door, Rico came outside. Authorities said Rico bit Burlew, who shot and killed the dog. Herrera became distraught and told Burlew that Rico was his best friend.
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Police alleged Herrera then confronted Burlew with a knife. Herrera’s family disputed the characterization of the encounter after viewing Burlew’s body-camera recording. According to their subsequent federal lawsuit, Herrera was approximately 20 feet from Burlew and took two steps toward him before Burlew shot him three times.
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The handling of the knife became a major point of dispute. The lawsuit alleged that a paramedic initially found a folding knife on the ground in the closed position, but when Michigan State Police later recovered it, the blade was open. The family also alleged Burlew failed to provide Herrera timely medical assistance after shooting him.
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Michigan State Police completed its investigation on 06/25/2021 and forwarded the case to the Hillsdale County Prosecutor’s Office. The local prosecutor subsequently cleared Burlew of criminal wrongdoing. Herrera’s family challenged the local review and asked Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel to independently investigate the killing and consider criminal charges.
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Herrera’s family repeatedly demanded that Burlew be fired and that the complete body-camera recording be released publicly. Family members and their attorneys were eventually allowed to view the footage privately and maintained afterward that Herrera’s death was preventable and that Burlew unnecessarily escalated an encounter that began with a loose-dog complaint.
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On 10/13/2021, Herrera’s mother, Guadalupe Herrera, filed a federal civil-rights lawsuit against Burlew and Sheriff Scott Hodshire. The lawsuit alleged excessive force, failure to provide medical assistance, assault and battery, negligence, and unconstitutional training and supervision.
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The shooting also generated a public campaign seeking intervention by the Michigan Attorney General. A petition supporting an independent investigation received more than 2,200 verified signatures.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
Adam Burlew continued working as a part-time Hillsdale County sheriff’s deputy after killing Herrera and also worked with Hillsdale College, where he coached its competitive shooting team. Later reporting described him as the college’s shooting coach while Herrera’s federal lawsuit was proceeding toward trial.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://wwmt.com/news/local/family-of-man-killed-by-hillsdale-deputy-call-for-body-camera-to-be-released
https://wwmt.com/news/local/body-camera-footage-shows-hillsdale-county-deputy-fatally-shoot-man-and-his-dog
https://www.rblaw.net/pressrelease-civil-lawsuit-filed-police-shooting-death-of-oscar-herrera
https://www.wlns.com/news/family-wants-hillsdale-county-sheriffs-deputy-fired-after-man-and-dog-shot-and-killed/
https://hillsdalecollegian.com/2021/10/mother-of-man-killed-by-deputy-files-lawsuit-against-hillsdale-county-sheriffs-office/
https://wdet.org/2021/10/15/family-of-west-michigan-man-fatally-shot-by-sheriffs-deputy-is-suing-over-his-death/
https://www.wlns.com/news/michigan/family-calls-for-bodycam-video-after-deputy-kills-hillsdale-county-man/
https://kutv.com/news/nation-world/body-cam-shows-michigan-deputy-kill-leaping-dog-before-shooting-killing-upset-owner
https://www.rblaw.net/pressrelease-family-and-attorneys-call-police-shooting-death-of-oscar-herrera-tragic-and-preventable
https://www.rblaw.net/pressrelease-attorneys-for-oscar-herrera-post-open-letter
https://dockets.justia.com/docket/michigan/miwdce/1%3A2021cv00880/102888