BATTLE CREEK, Mich. – The mother of an 11-year-old boy on a minibike who was fatally struck by a sheriff's deputy in southern Michigan says her son wasn't at fault.
Christina Valadez said Tuesday during a news conference with her lawyer that Norman Hood was "a good kid" who was just trying to cross a street.
The deputy was responding to a report of a possible burglary when he hit the boy about 9:30 p.m. May 28 in Battle Creek, about 120 miles (193 kilometers) west of Detroit. The sheriff's office has said it appears the bike turned into the car's path.
Valadez's attorney, Don Sappanos, says there's evidence the deputy was speeding.
Authorities haven't disclosed how fast the car was going. The deputy hadn't activated his vehicle's overhead lights and siren. State police are investigating.
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