(WWJ) — A jury has found three private Metro Detroit security guards not guilty of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the 2014 death of McKenzie Cochran at Northland Mall in Southfield 10 years ago.
Cochran, a 25-year-old Ferndale man, died after being maced and restrained by guards at the former mall near the intersection of Greenfield Road and the Lodge Freeway.
The trial against John Seiberling, Gaven King and Aaron Maree began earlier this week and concluded after jury deliberations that lasted less than an hour. A fourth guard, Lucius Hamilton, previously pleaded guilty in the case earlier this month.
A fifth guard who initially made contact with Cochran died in 2017 before charges were filed.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office said Cochran allegedly told a jewelry store owner inside the mall that he "wanted to kill someone” on Jan. 28, 2014.
Two security guards responded to the store owner's call for help. Officials said Cochran approached the guards with clenched fists, according to Nessel’s office.
One guard pepper sprayed Cochran, then both tried to force him to the ground. Three additional guards arrived and joined in trying to handcuff Cochran, officials said.
The AG’s office said video evidence showed that Cochran remained face down with his arms under his body while the guards restrained him. Some witnesses told police they heard Cochran saying he couldn’t breathe while he was on the ground.
Cochran was pronounced dead a short time later at a local hospital, with the cause of death found to be asphyxiation.
While prosecutors at the time did not think there was enough evidence to press charges, the AG's office brought a case against the guard nearly ten years later, in 2023. Cochran's family
"While today's verdict is not what we had hoped for, I am grateful for the dedicated work of the prosecutors and investigators in my office who worked tirelessly in pursuit of long-awaited answers on behalf of Mr. Cochran's family," Nessel said in a statement released late Friday afternoon.
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