Man killed protecting colleague from out-of-control driver in Detroit

Victim identified as Tate Sherrer, 49

DETROIT – A Detroit family is grieving after a hard-working military veteran was killed protecting a colleague. 

Tate Sherrer, 49, pushed a fellow security guard out of harm's way before he was hit by an out-of-control driver. 

Detroit police said that driver may have been drunk. 

Sherrer's family members said he had just started working as a security guard at Carribbean bar a few months ago, and this was supposed to be his last week. 

He served in Afghanistan, and ended up dying in Detroit while saving the life of his colleague.

Tate Sherrer

"It’s an unbelievable thing, but when you think about it, you’re like, 'That’s him: risk his life to save someone else’s,'" Sherrer's stepdaughter, Mykera Walker, said.

Sherrer was a father, a military veteran and a romantic. He married Walker’s mother a month ago in a secret ceremony. 

The couple planned to surprise their family on New Year's Eve.

"I felt her happiness and her love, because you could see how in love she was and how happy she was," Walker said. 

A wall in their home was a tribute to their love for one another and their family. 

"It was actually one of his favorite things about this house," Walker said. "Here in the middle was the story about how he and my mom met."

Saturday night, Sherrer was working with another security guard outside a bar on Procter and McGraw on Detroit’s west side.

A man was killed Dec. 17, 2017 when a vehicle hit him while he was walking in Detroit. (WDIV)

A driver who may have been speeding jumped the curb, and Sherrer pushed his colleague to safety just in time. 

"It’s hard to know that this could happen in the blink of an eye, especially after you saw that person or talked to that person," Walker said.

The family said they expected a joyous holiday season, but now all they’re left with are memories. 

"This is not just your average Joe," Walker said of Sherrer. "I feel like if he had to it again, he would, without a second thought."

The Detroit Police Department said the driver was arrested for reckless driving, and they’re investigating whether alcohol was a factor. That man remains in custody and is expected to be arraigned in the coming days. 

Family members said the security guard Sherrer saved is a father of 10 and helped keep the driver at the scene until police arrived. 


About the Authors:

Priya joined WDIV-Local 4 in 2013 as a reporter and fill-in anchor. Education: B.A. in Communications/Post Grad in Advanced Journalism

Dawn Jorgenson, Graham Media Group Branded Content Managing Editor, began working with the group in April 2013. She graduated from Texas State University with a degree in electronic media.