By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
Detroit police are pulling out of a DEA task force over the use of an informant who went on a killing spree.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig told The Detroit News that he pulled his officers from a DEA/Detroit police task force after meeting with Keith Martin, special agent in charge of the DEA’s operations in Michigan and Ohio.
“I said during the meeting I felt there was a breach of trust,” Craig said. “Because of this failure to acknowledge ownership that (Kenyel) Brown was signed as an informant working for the DEA/DPD task force, I’m pulling my officers from the task force.”
Detroit police had worked with the DEA for more than 20 years, the chief said.
Martin responded that the DEA is still “committed to working with the Detroit Police Department.”
The controversy involves the DEA’s use of Kenyel Brown, whom the task force paid $150 in October for information about a southwest Detroit gang dealing drugs.
Brown committed suicide by shooting himself in the head Monday as officers prepared to arrest him on allegations he was involved in six homicides, a shooting and two carjackings in Detroit and two suburbs.
Brown was kept out of prison while he was used as a federal informant, despite “multiple violations of his probation,” The Detroit News reported.
