DETROIT, June 24 (UPI) -- Detroit's police chief hopes to use the federal death penalty law against ambush killers who gunned down the wrong man.
Since Michigan does not have a death penalty for state crimes, Chief William Dwyer says he is seriously considering seeking the federal death penalty in the slaying of the brother of a federal drug informant, the Detroit Free Press said Thursday. The U.S. Attorney's Office said it would consider the request. Dwyer called the killing a case of mistaken identity.
Armond Hickmon, 21, was shot as he left his apartment Tuesday morning. Dwyer said the killers thought they were shooting Hickmon's brother, Antoine, 31, who had testified as recently as October in a major federal marijuana case.
Federal law permits the death penalty for premeditated killings in federal crimes, including cases of mistaken identity where killers try to silence federal witnesses. That's what evidence shows happened with Armond Hickmon's killing, Dwyer said.
