A Detroit man, whose conviction was overturned last March, is now suing an Eastpointe police officer for $50 million.
Background: Man freed after wrongful conviction for 2014 armed robbery of 7-Eleven in Eastpointe
Mack Howell said he lives with nightmares after spending more than seven years in a prison cell for a crime he didn’t commit.
He was convicted in August 2016 of an armed robbery of an Eastpointe 7-Eleven and was sentenced to 25 to 50 years. It was basically a life sentence for his age.
“I was real loss trying to figure out how I am going to do life in prison,” Howell said.
The lawsuit cites problems with the investigation and how Howell was identified as a person of interest by authorities. It seeks $50 million against the detective that put him behind bars. His attorney said Mack missed out on so much of his life while in prison and the detective must be held accountable.
Howell has been free since March. The Macomb County Prosecutor’s Conviction Integrity Unit overturned his armed robbery conviction due to evidence that was not presented at his trial, including a serial armed robber targetting 7-Eleven stores at the time.
Howell’s attorney, Wolfgang Mueller, said Eastpointe Police Department detective Matthew Hambright was in charge of the case.
“We’re suing because it comes down to this: Hambright chose not to disclose the evidence of a serial robber that the defense was entitled to,” Mueller said.
Mueller also accused Hambright of convincing the 7-Eleven store clerk to identify Howell as the robber, despite her having only seen the robber’s eyes.
“In our criminal justice system, we can’t get him fired and we can put him behind bars,” Mueller said of Hambright. “All we can do is get the amount of compensation that balances out the harm that was done.”
Hambright still works for the department. On Eastpointe Police Department’s website, he’s identified as a deputy chief.
Local 4 reached out to the Eastpointe police about the lawsuit and was told no comment.