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Steve Neavling (Facebook photo)
Relief finally came this week for Steve Neavling, editor of the investigative news website, Motor City Muckraker.
Neavling, a former Detroit Free Press reporter, was acquitted in Detroit's 36th District Court on charges that he assaulted a videographer in December 2014 while covering a fire on the city's east side.
After a 45-minute, non-jury trial, Neavling said the judge found that he acted in self defense when he pushed a videographer out his face. He said the judge concluded that the videographer was the aggressor in the case.
"I thought it was ludicrous that I was charged," Neavling told Deadline Detroit. "Police never interviewed me and took the word of the alleged victim. I didn’t learn that I was even charged until two years after charges were filed. The police department never notified me that I was charged. The prosecutor's office never notified me that I was charged."
George Hunter of the Detroit News reported in 2014 that the Dec. 5 incident started in the 2900 block of Garland, when Neavling and Blake Arnold, a videographer, were separately observing a fire that started near the historic home of Dr. Ossian Sweet.
Arnold videotaped some of what happened that night, though Neavling described the footage as "creative editing" that does not tell the entire story.
Hunter wrote:
Arnold’s camera was rolling as he approached Neavling and said, “You did a hit job on the Grosse Pointe Park Police” — a reference to a story Neavling broke in November about officers who filmed a homeless man as they seemed to taunt him.
After Arnold questioned the blogger about his story, Neavling is seen in the video taking a few steps before turning and saying, “Get the (expletive) away from me.” Neavling then takes a swing at the camera, and the picture wobbles. Neavling again warns Arnold to get out of his “personal space” before swinging again.
Neavling wrote to Deadline Detroit back in 2014:
He walked up to me, and as I stuck my hand out to shake his hand, he called me a n@@@er lover, pushed my shoulder and pulled out his camera. He followed me and refused to get out of my personal space for 5-10 minutes. I told him numerous times that I felt threatened and he ignored me. It was pitch dark, and there was a fire burning in three homes. The video that you see is the last minute of his confrontation with me. He was not going to stop pursuing me.
Neavling says he never knew he was charged until earlier this year when he was pulled over by Grosse Pointe Park Police for a traffic stop and was arrested because of an outstanding warrant in the case. He says he spent six hours in jail before he was bailed out.
He ended up having to hire a lawyer for thousands of dollars.
"The case has taught me an ugly lesson about justice in Detroit," he said. "They took the case to court with flimsy evidence and they stood behind an admitted racist and never tried to interview me. My concern is that a lot of low income Detroiters are getting charged with flimsy evidence and pleading guilty because they can't afford a good attorney.
Attempts to reach Arnold for comment, including through Facebook, were unsuccessful as of Friday afternoon. Arnold testified in the trial.
Neavling's attorney, Victoria Burton-Harris, posted this on Neavling's Facebook page:
"You should not have had to go to trial on these very weak and unfounded allegations by a bully."
She told Deadline Detroit on Thursday: "It was a waste of the taxpayers' dollar and the county’s resources."
Maria Miller, a spokesperson for the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, shared an email with Deadline Detroit that she sent to Neavling:
You would need to ask the police why you were arrested on the assault and battery warrant. Once we authorize a warrant, the police always do the notification to the defendant and/or arrest. After the warrant is issued it is not appropriate for WCPO prosecutors to have contact with you directly, as it could interfere with your rights.
In this case the warrant prosecutor assessed that the victim was credible. There was also a video tape that was reviewed before the assault and battery warrant was signed. It is my understanding that you had a bench trial today before Judge Kevin Robbins where he indicated that although it was a “close call” he found that you acted in self defense in the case and you were acquitted.
A spokesman for the Detroit Police Department did not immediately respond to a text for comment.
