DETROIT (WXYZ) — Three teenagers have been charged in connection to the murder of Oakland County Sheriff's Office Deputy Brad Reckling after a monthslong investigation.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy was joined by Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald, Detroit Police Department Chief James White and Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard at the announcement on Wednesday morning.
One man, 18-year-old Ramon DeBose from Clinton Township, is charged in the actual killing of Reckling. He's charged with one count of murder of a peace officer, receiving and concealing stolen property, four counts of carrying a concealed weapon, three counts of felony firearm, one count of carjacking and one count of conducting a criminal enterprise.
Karim Moore, 18, from Clinton Township and Marquis Goins, 18, from Detroit are each charged with one count of accessory after the fact, receiving and concealing stolen property, four counts of carrying a concealed weapon, three counts of felony firearm, one count of carjacking and one count of conducting a criminal enterprise.
According to the prosecutor's office, DeBose fired the shots that hit Reckling, and the two others were allegedly in the car and helped him flee the scene and supported him after the alleged shooting.
Hear from Worthy in the video below:
"The murder of a police officer always sparks outrage and it should, and this one was no different," Worthy said as she began the press conference Wednesday morning.
White spoke Wednesday calling the slain deputy a hero.
"Deputy Reckling was a hero. He was an absolute hero. He did what we all love doing and that is keeping our respective communities safe," White said. "He came to work like we all do any day of the week. He laid his life on the line. He was in our city pursuing someone for auto theft, stumbled on to something much bigger than he even thought."
Hear from White in the video below:
Bouchard also spoke Wednesday. He thanked law enforcement across the area for their efforts in holding someone accountable as the Reckling family continues grieving.
"When you’ve got a young mom with three kids and another on the way, the void that that created for her, it exploded her life in so many ways and she wants to make sure rightfully and understandably that that person is held to account," Bouchard said. "Every day she wakes up thinking about that and every day she goes to bed thinking about that because there’s an empty spot next to her. So obviously, each day that ticks off, it's more and more anxiety. I think this is a good step in that process, but it’s going to be a long process for her."
Reckling was killed in Detroit on the night of June 22 while he was working undercover tracking a stolen vehicle.
Hear from Bouchard in the video below:
Worthy said that the prosecutor's office's public integrity unit had worked the case for months, which resulted in the charges. Investigators combed through copious amounts of evidence from social media pages, body-worn camera, phone extractions, cellphone tower records, CCTV and Ring doorbell camera video. Worthy says it's a part of the reason it took several months to formally issue a murder charge.
According to Worthy, the three suspects were working as part of a criminal enterprise that dated back to November 2023 and ended on the night of the shooting.
That criminal enterprise, according to Worthy, resulted in at least four carjackings, at least four car thefts, eight counts of weapons charges and more.
"This was a ring. This was something that touched a lot of cities and like I said, three counties," Worthy said. "If you’re going to be involved in something like that and we can prove it beyond a reasonable doubt, we will charge it."
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The Oakland County Sheriff's Office said Reckling was following a stolen vehicle when one of the suspects got out and opened fire, hitting him multiple times. Reckling, who was not wearing a bulletproof vest, was following the vehicle the three young men were in because it had been stolen out of Madison Heights earlier in the day.
Moore has previously been charged in connection with the murder with on counts of lying to a peace officer during a violent crime investigation and one count of resisting arrest.
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“I’m sure four months was very difficult to wait for, but we wanted to do this right," Worthy said during the press conference.
All three teens were arraigned at 36th District Court Wednesday afternoon. DeBose was given no bond and will be held at the Wayne County Jail. Moore was given a cash surety bond of $250,000 and if released would have to wear a GPS tether. Goins was given a $1 million bond.
The prosecutors in the case say Goins was already out on bond in connection to another case at the time of Reckling's murder. As a condition of that case, Goins was ordered not to have any contact with his co-defendant DeBose or contact with any firearms, however, he violated that order.
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All three teens are due back in court next month for probable cause and preliminary hearings.
