By Steve Neavling

Copyright metrotimes

Two Sterling Heights cops accused of brutally beating a Black man and siccing a police dog on him during his arrest in February 2024 have been ordered to stand trial in Macomb County Circuit Court.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced that officers James Sribniak, 31, and Jack Currie, 29, were bound over on felony charges Friday stemming from the pursuit and arrest of Garry Young, 36, after a domestic violence call.

Sribniak was charged with one count each of misconduct in office and felonious assault. He faces up to five years in prison.

Currie was charged with misconduct in office and assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, a 10-year felony.

The charges are tied to a pursuit that began when Young fled a traffic stop and led officers on a 13-mile chase through Sterling Heights and Roseville, police said. The chase reached speeds of 90 mph and ended when Young crashed his vehicle near I-94.

Body camera and dash camera footage released by Sterling Heights police shows officers swarming Young after the crash. He is repeatedly bitten by a police dog while on the ground, tased as he shouts in pain, and punched multiple times in the face. At one point, an officer is seen kicking him in the head.

Police captions in the video say Young was intoxicated at twice the legal limit and had attempted to run over an officer during the pursuit. He was accused of assaulting a woman and choking a youth before fleeing police.

Young suffered bruises across his body. He faces separate charges of domestic violence, fleeing police, resisting officers, and operating with a suspended license.

The case has fueled criticism of the Sterling Heights Police Department, and the footage is yet another reminder of the long-standing concerns about police accountability in Macomb County, particularly in cases where suspects are already restrained or surrounded.

Two Sterling Heights officers were placed on administrative leave after the arrest. The Macomb County Sheriff’s Office investigated the incident before prosecutors filed charges in October 2024.

“We expect police officers to exercise sound and professional judgment, especially when making the serious decision to deploy a K9,” Nessel said. “I am glad this case has finally moved forward to trial and look forward to presenting our case in court.”

When announcing the charges in October 2024, Nessel called the canine “horrific” and “illegal.”

“K9 assistance can be a valuable tool for law enforcement but must be deployed with good judgment,” Nessel said. “K9 Officers are rigorously trained in the proper use of police dogs and should be held to the highest standards of conduct. We should be able to trust them to not deploy a dog as an unnecessary and unlawful punitive measure to brutally attack a human being. In this incident, deploying a K9 on a suspect already on the ground and well-surrounded by officers is not only horrific but illegal. My office remains committed to thoroughly investigating and prosecuting police misconduct.”

Sribniak and Currie are scheduled for their next court appearance on Oct. 6 in Macomb County Circuit Court.

The charges against Sribniak and Currie add to a growing list of misconduct cases involving cops in Macomb County in recent years:

2025: Two former Macomb County sheriff’s deputies were sentenced to jail and probation after pleading guilty in unrelated assault cases that involved excessive force against detainees.

2025: A Macomb County sheriff’s deputy was charged with child abuse.

2025: Rev. W.J. Rideout reached a settlement with Shelby Township police after he filed a wrongful arrest lawsuit.

2023: A Warren cop was charged with repeatedly assaulting a suspect.

2022: Warren cops were recently sued after repeatedly beating a man with a mental health emergency in 2022.

2020: Shelby Township police were accused of using excessive force against Black Lives Matter protesters.

2020: Shelby Township. Police Chief Robert J. Shelide was suspended for 30 days for glorifying police abuse in social media posts. He was reinstated after a month.