In August 2017, Michigan State troopers followed Damon in their patrol car after they spotted him illegally riding an ATV in a residential area of Detroit. The troopers asked Damon to pull over. When he did not stop immediately, an officer in the passenger seat of the patrol car pulled out his Taser and stunned Damon.

Damon then crashed into the back of a parked truck and died shortly after. Mark Bessner, the police officer who stunned Damon, was suspended and later resigned.

After two trials — the first ended with a hung jury in 2018 — Bessner was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in 2019. He was also charged with second-degree murder, but he was not found guilty on that charge.

Bessner was sentenced to five to 15 years in prison, according to court documents.

Days after Damon's death, the Michigan State Police changed its pursuit policy to prohibit state troopers in Detroit from following vehicles because of a traffic violation or misdemeanor offenses.

Michigan State Police allows its officers to use Taser stun guns to overcome resistance to an arrest, or to keep a prisoner in custody. The State Police also requests that officers avoid using the device on women, children, older people and people who are sick or impaired.

After the ATV crash, the Michigan State Police said that Bessner "undisputedly acted outside of MSP policy and training."

New York Times