Deadly punch at Detroit gas station results in prison sentence

DETROIT – A man will spend years in jail after a man he punched at a Detroit gas station died.

It happened June 27 at a gas station on East McNichols Road, near Gunston Avenue, just outside Coleman A Young International Airport.

Police said there was an argument between Javonte Rayshawn Barber and Samuel Spruill Jr. that escalated to violence. Barber reportedly punched Spruill in the face, causing him to fall and hit his head on the pavement.

Spruill was taken to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.

Barber was charged with manslaughter, a charge he later pleaded guilty to on March 4, 2026.

On Wednesday, April 1, Barber was sentenced to four to 15 years in the Michigan Department of Corrections, with credit for 277 days served.