Eddie Deans Jr., 46, was shot and killed by Grand Rapids police after an alleged escalation of violence over the weekend.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. —
Court documents out of Kent County probate court allege the man shot and killed by police over the weekend, Eddie Deans Jr., had a history of mental health issues and was on parole for murder at the time of his death.
Deans was listed as a parole absconder since May 21 of this year, roughly a week before he was killed by an officer with the Grand Rapids Police Department. He was serving 12-50 years in prison for attacking and killing a woman who owed him money for drugs, court records say. He served around half of his maximum sentence. Deans was 15 at the time of the crime.
He was discharged on parole to live at his mother’s house, with one of the requirements being that he take medication.
According to probate court records, he had a history of mental illness in his family and was sexually abused as a child. He took medication as a child for mental health issues.
He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorder. The documents also mention depression and schizoaffective disorder.
While in prison, he had a history of suicide attempts and had self-injurious behavior, where ending his life was not the goal. At one point, it was also written that he “heard voices” in the past, which documents say he later denied.
Along with that, documents state he also had frequent hunger strikes, struggled with hypersexuality and stopped taking his medications because “he didn’t think they were the right ones.”
Medical professionals wrote that he had a history of medication and treatment noncompliance.
One professional wrote in a clinical certificate, “his reasoning and judgement abilities are seriously impaired,” and that he had a history of physical aggression in prison.
He had over 150 misconduct tickets while incarcerated, including ones for assault and battery toward staff and other prisoners.
In one document, it was documented that Deans said, “I feel better when I take my meds, and when I have structure…everything will be different now…everyone will be older and everything I know will be changed…people will communicate differently with these cell phones…”
But many of the documents said that upon release, he would be at risk of noncompliance and subsequent harm.
A document from last summer, written by a Network 180 case manager, reads that Deans was not complying with the order for assisted outpatient treatment or combined hospitalization and assisted outpatient treatment.
Their personal observation was that Deans said he wasn’t going to talk to the case manager or meet with them. There were also allegedly numerous unreturned phone calls and Deans was accused of verbally threatening the case manager.
Deans allegedly left voicemails for other case managers stating, “I don’t want to work with Network 180,” and was also a no-show for medication review in May of last year.
There is no confirmation on whether Deans was regularly taking medication at the time of the incident.
Officers were called to the 1000 block of Alpine Avenue NW around 1:15 p.m. Saturday for reports of a man armed with a knife threatening family members inside a home.
The man has since been identified as Eddie Deans.
Investigators say Deans threw a lit Molotov cocktail at a police cruiser as officers began arriving on scene, igniting the vehicle.
Trigg said crews had to use an extinguisher to put out the flames.
GRPD says officers attempted multiple de-escalation efforts as the man hunkered down inside the residence.
Officers attempted to use less-lethal options, such as a .40 caliber shot launcher, on Deans before he fled the area on foot.
During the ensuing pursuit, Deans attempted an armed carjacking before trying to enter another home.
Officers would come face-to-face with him in the backyard of a home on Widdicomb Avenue NW.
GRPD K9 “Digo” was released by his handler in an attempt to subdue Deans. Investigators say Deans stabbed the dog three times with a knife he was carrying.
In body-worn camera videos played on Wednesday, Deans then appears to start moving towards officers.
“The officer makes an attempt with the less-lethal round. The individual tucks back behind the stairs, you know, for cover, and then another officer… sergeant is dipping in to try to get a better view to deliver a second round,” Trigg explained.
“As he’s doing that, the individual is starting to charge. You see that the sergeant delivers the round, I believe, as he’s backpedaling to get out of there.”
Deans died at the scene.
Michigan State Police is handling the investigation, as is standard procedure in officer-involved shootings.
The officer who fired the shots has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
K9 Officer “Digo” survived the stabbing and is expected to recover. GRPD will evaluate whether or not he is fit to return to service at a further date.