Death of Malice Green

Malice Green (April 29, 1957 – November 5, 1992) was an American resident of Detroit, Michigan who died after being assaulted by Detroit police officers Walter Budzyn and Larry Nevers on November 5, 1992. The official cause of death was ruled to be due to blunt force trauma to his head.

Budzyn and Nevers were patrolling in Detroit in plain clothes in an unmarked vehicle. Green had pulled up to a house known for drug activity. Budzyn asked Green for his driver's license and Green then walked around to the passenger side of the car and sat in the passenger seat with his legs out the doorway. Green looked through the glove compartment, then grabbed something from the car's floor. Budzyn asked Green to let go of the object. Green allegedly failed to relinquish a vial of crack cocaine. After refusing to let go, Nevers struck Green in the head with his flashlight approximately 7 to 14 times during the struggle, which, according to the official autopsy, resulted in his death. After the struggle, Green was transported to a local hospital for treatment of the head injuries sustained in the struggle and died.

The seven officers present at the scene were suspended soon after Green's death, and the city of Detroit paid a civil settlement to Green's family. Budzyn and Nevers were convicted of second-degree murder in 1993, while charges against another officer were dropped and a fourth was found not guilty. Following a retrial, Budzyn was again convicted in 1998. Nevers' conviction was overturned, but he was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2000.