Demond Bridgeforth, a 28-year-old man from Grand Rapids, Michigan, was fatally shot on the afternoon of June 10, 2017. At the time of the incident, which occurred on Sheldon Boulevard SE near Oakes Street, Bridgeforth was in a wheelchair, a consequence of a previous shooting in 2011 that had left him paralyzed.
The Grand Rapids Police Department responded to the scene and found Bridgeforth deceased from gunshot wounds.
In the initial stages of the investigation, the police appealed to the public for information, as details surrounding the shooting were scarce. His family and friends remembered him as a person with a 'good spirit' who 'didn't bother nobody.'
More than seven months later, on January 17, 2018, authorities made an arrest in connection with the homicide. The Grand Rapids Police Department, in collaboration with the FBI Fugitive Task Force, took 28-year-old Kevin Ezell into custody. Ezell was subsequently charged with open murder and a felony firearm offense for his alleged role in Demond Bridgeforth's death. The motive for the shooting was not immediately disclosed by law enforcement officials.
Following his arrest, the case against Kevin Ezell proceeded through the Kent County court system. Ultimately, court records indicate that on February 13, 2019, Ezell entered a plea deal. He was convicted of felonious assault and felony firearm charges. For these convictions, he was sentenced to a term of two to six years in prison.
