Guards Acquitted in 2014 Mall Death

A jury acquitted three security guards, John Seiberling, Gaven King, and Aaron Maree, of involuntary manslaughter in the 2014 death of McKenzie Cochran at a Detroit-area mall. Cochran, a 25-year-old Black man with an enlarged heart, repeatedly stated he couldn't breathe while being restrained by the guards, who had responded to a report of a threat. The guards' defense argued they acted reasonably given the circumstances, while prosecutors claimed excessive force and gross negligence were the cause of Cochran's death by asphyxiation. The case was reopened in 2020 after Cochran's family sought further investigation, triggered partly by the national outcry following George Floyd's death. Despite the emotional courtroom reactions following the verdict, defense attorneys emphasized that the guards' actions were different from those in high-profile police brutality cases. Assistant Attorney General La Donna Logan argued that the guards failed to reposition Cochran despite his clear distress, leading to his tragic death.