Law360 (June 26, 2026, 7:07 PM EDT) -- A Michigan man who spent more than 15 years in prison before being acquitted at a new trial has sued more than a dozen Detroit police officers, alleging they fabricated evidence, hid proof that undercut the case, and coerced a wounded witness into falsely identifying him in a 2007 shooting.

Kiante D. Hickey filed the civil rights suit Thursday in Michigan federal court, claiming officers led by former Detroit police Officer William Anderson III built a murder case around a shifting and unreliable witness account, even though police allegedly knew the witness had not seen the shooter's face.

"As a result, Hickey was sentenced to life in prison and spent over 15 years locked up for a shooting and murder he had nothing to do with," the complaint said.

Hickey says the officers violated his due process right to a fair trial, maliciously prosecuted him without probable cause, and intentionally inflicted emotional distress. He is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, attorney fees, interest, and other relief.

The complaint names Anderson and other current or former Detroit police officers and evidence technicians, including Anthony Avecilla, Kenyatta Borden, Dante Borum, Michael Carlisle, Carlos Chapman, Tom Collins, Eric Decker, Matthew Gnatek, Jamal Hamood, James Hawthorne, Robert Holmes, Scott Kolesar, Terry Marlon, Michael Martel, William Niarhos, Christophe Quarello, Nicole Rabior, Frank Senter and Thomas Smith.

The suit centers on the Sept. 28, 2007, shootings of Donteau Dennis and Bennie Peterson in Detroit. According to the complaint, Dennis and Peterson had been sleeping at Peterson's house before leaving in a minivan with Quonshay Mason. Hosiea Turner later joined them.

Hickey claims Dennis shot Peterson inside the van and Mason then shot Dennis. Peterson died in the van, while Dennis survived after collapsing about a block away.

When Detroit police arrived, the complaint says, Dennis allegedly told officers a false story — that he had been talking with a man in the street about money and the man shot both him and Peterson.

Dennis, according to the complaint, said the shooter could be Hickey but also said he did not see the shooter's face.

"None of the scene officers reported that Dennis did not see the shooter's face or that Dennis' purported identification of Hickey was guesswork at best," the complaint said.

Hickey claims the case should have been stopped there because Dennis was not credible. Instead, the officers began creating reports that made Hickey look guilty, the complaint says.

The suit claims Officer Gnatek fabricated motive evidence against Hickey through statements attributed to LaKeitha Boutire, who was wanted in connection with a robbery and vulnerable to police pressure. It also alleges Anderson fabricated a similar report based on statements attributed to Dennis' girlfriend, Dominique Reed.

Hickey also claims Anderson fabricated a hospital interview with Dennis while Dennis was intubated. The complaint says Anderson wrote that Dennis somehow communicated that Hickey shot Dennis and that a man named Andre Jackson shot Peterson.

"This was already the third version of Dennis' story," the complaint said.

Dennis' account of what happened kept changing from Hickey shooting both men, to Hickey shooting Dennis, to Hickey shooting Dennis while Jackson shot Peterson, and later to Mason and Jackson shooting Peterson, the suit says.

Hickey claims Anderson visited Dennis in the hospital more than a dozen times, sometimes more than once a day, and Dennis repeatedly told Anderson he had not seen the shooter's face.

The complaint says Anderson coerced Dennis into changing his story, and officers failed to disclose Dennis' statements that he had not seen the shooter.

The suit also says Anderson threatened Mason during an interrogation after Mason and Boutire were arrested about 10 days after the shootings.

Hickey turned himself in after Mason's arrest and was also arrested. The complaint says police had no probable cause because they knew Dennis had changed his story, admitted he never saw the shooter's face, and had lied to hide his own role in the shootings.

At a preliminary hearing, Dennis testified in line with what Hickey called the fabricated story, and Hickey and Mason were bound over for trial.

Hickey says the prosecution would not have pursued the charges if officers had not fabricated evidence or had disclosed that Dennis initially said he never saw the shooter's face.

The complaint says Anderson later fabricated more evidence, including reports claiming Hickey and Jackson tried to contact Dennis before trial to influence his testimony. It also alleges Anderson fabricated a report that said Jackson admitted being present at the shootings, seeing Mason shoot Peterson and seeing Hickey shoot Dennis.

At trial, Dennis testified that Hickey shot him and that Mason and Jackson shot Peterson.

"No other witnesses testified that Hickey shot anyone, that Hickey was there when the shots were fired, or that Hickey was present at the events leading up to the shooting," the suit said. "No physical evidence tied Hickey to the scene, to the van or to any gun used in the shooting."

The jury convicted Hickey, Mason and Jackson. Hickey was sentenced to life in prison and maintained his innocence at sentencing, saying Dennis "lied on me," the complaint said.

Hickey says he was not at the shooting and was asleep at his sister's house, which she shared with her partner, a Detroit police officer.

The complaint says that over the years, evidence emerged showing Hickey was innocent. Mason ultimately testified under oath that he shot Dennis after Dennis shot Peterson and that Hickey was not there.

Turner also provided an affidavit supporting Mason's account, the complaint says, and Dennis signed an affidavit saying his trial testimony about the shooting was "untruthful."

Hickey secured a new trial and was acquitted after spending more than 15 years in custody.

"Because of the defendants' misconduct, Hickey lost his freedom, relationships with friends and family, and all the other positive experiences associated with a free life," the suit said.

Hickey claims he continues to suffer mental and emotional pain and physical symptoms of distress, including headaches, stomachaches and nausea.

The parties did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday.

Hickey is represented by Thomas M. Hanson and Thomas R. Kayes of Loevy & Loevy.

Counsel information for the defendants was not immediately available Friday.

The case is Hickey v. Anderson et al., case number 2:26-cv-12136, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

--Editing by Janice Carter Brown.

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