Sterling family ‘sick,' ‘devastated' after judge tosses murder case against former MSP sgt.
Editor's note: The video above aired May 29, 2025.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Samuel Sterling's parents say they are devastated and in disbelief after a federal judge threw out the murder case against the former Michigan State Police sergeant in the death of their son.
More than a year after she lost her son, the back of Andrica Cage's shirt said it all: 'A mother's love never dies.' The front was a picture of Sterling with angel wings on his back.
As she honors her son, she says she has lost hope in the justice system.
'I got hope in God,' she said. 'That's what I'm going to stick with.'
Judge tosses case against former MSP sgt in death of Samuel Sterling
In April 2024, police were pursuing the 25-year-old Sterling for multiple felony warrants and tracked him down to a Kentwood gas station. Officers chased Sterling on foot to a nearby Burger King while Keely pursued in an unmarked cruiser. Video shows Detective Sgt. Brian Keely's SUV hitting Sterling near the restaurant entrance. Sterling died hours later.
A federal judge dismissed against Keely last week, ruling that he's entitled to immunity under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution because he was acting as a federal law enforcement officer. The judge also said prosecutors didn't prove Keely intentionally killed Sterling.
'I was sick,' Cage said. 'I threw up. I cried. It was just unbelievable that a judge can actually dismiss something.'
Sterling's dad Michael Sterling believes a jury would have found Keely guilty. As of now, they won't get their day in court. He said it's a slap in the face.
'I'm not surprised, but I'm very hurt, devastated, sad, angry,' he said. 'All the above.'
'Abomination of justice': Community leaders react to Keely case dismissal
Kent County Commissioner Robert S. Womack, who has been working with the family, said 'this was a death that could have been avoided.'
'Somewhere there has to be justice for them to know that the state of Michigan recognizes this was a life that was taken,' he said.
Keely's attorneys say he is vindicated by the decision. They argue he was doing his job in a high-risk situation and protecting the public from someone they say was a dangerous fugitive.
'This ruling not only vindicates our client but also sends a strong message in support of those who serve with honor and integrity,' Keely attorneys Marc E. Curtis and Lance LoRusso said in a statement.
AG says she's mulling appeals in Keely case
Attorney General Dana Nessel, who brought the charges against Keely and is considering appealing, said the ruling was unprecedented.
'The way this case was decided was nothing short of a miscarriage of justice,' Nessel told News 8 last week.
Attorney Ven Johnson is representing the Sterling family in a civil excessive force lawsuit. He said the judge's decision to throw out the criminal case is 'revictimizing the victims.'
'I've never seen anything like this in my life after nearly 40 years of practice,' he said.
Sterling's parents remain at a loss over how the murder case didn't make it to trial.
'Now it's blood on that judge's hand,' Cage said. 'It wasn't just blood on Brian Keely's hand. Now it's blood on her hand. As I always tell everybody I'm a God-fearing mother, so I'm going to let God handle this.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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