May 24, 2007
Norman Sinclair / The Detroit News
DETROIT -- After his arrest, 22-year-old Deonte Edward Bradley told a Detroit police officer the answer to a question that has haunted people all over the country: "Why did you beat up a 91-year-old man?"
"It wasn't intentionally. It was just something I did and it was stupid. I hit him a few times, got the keys and drove off," Bradley told Detroit Police Officer Kevin White. Bradley's statement to White was read into the record Wednesday at Bradley's preliminary examination in 36th District Court in Detroit.
Judge Mark A. Randon ordered Bradley to stand trial in the May 4 carjacking of 91-year-old Leonard Sims, an incident that outraged viewers around the country who saw the attack vividly recorded on a security camera in the parking lot of the Shop N Go Liquor store in the 3200 block of McNichols.
Bradley is charged with carjacking, assault less than murder and being a habitual criminal, third degree, for two previous drug convictions. The carjacking and habitual counts carry maximum terms of life in prison.
White and Sims were the only witnesses called Wednesday afternoon by Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor Jamie Powell.
"I came out of the store to my car, opened the door with my key, and before I knew it, a young man was up in my face," Sims said. "He asked for a light for a cigarette and before I could answer he pushed me in the face and punched me … he hit me about 20 times.
"He grabbed the keys out of my hand and hopped in the car," Sims said, and pointed to Bradley as he identified him as his assailant.
Sims said the attack impaired his hearing, and he still has pain in his chest where bruises are still visible.
In his statement to White, Bradley said he did not plan the assault and was not carrying a weapon that night.
He said his girlfriend was with him but she had nothing to do with the incident.
In his statement to police, Bradley described Sims, an African-American, as a white man with gray hair and about 75 years old.
Sims' wife, Nora, 83, said outside the courtroom she believed that Bradley mistaking Sims for white led to the attack.
"I don't care what color you are, you don't beat people up," she said.
The couple also had little sympathy for Bradley when his lawyer, Eric Goze, asked the judge to have Bradley secluded from other inmates in the county jail because of the wide media publicity.
"Let him go in there and see what it's like to be hit 21 times," Nora said, breaking into tears.
At the urging of the prosecutor, who cited Bradley's failure to show up in court in other cases, Randon raised Bradley's $75,000 bond to $1 million, 10 percent cash. Randon set a May 30 date for Bradley's next appearance in Wayne Circuit Court. |
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