Man Takes Plea Deal In Murder Of Livonia Cop
DETROIT (WWJ) - The man accused of killing Livonia Police Officer Larry Nehasil has pleaded no contest to second degree murder charges.
The first degree murder trial for 49-year-old Terry Bowling was supposed to begin Monday. But, instead, Bowling opted to plead no contest to second degree murder and home invasion.
A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt, but is treated as such for sentencing purposes.
Bowling's attorney, Randy Lewis, believes it was his plan to challenge the constitutionality of police using a tracking device on his client's car that convinced the prosecutor to offer a plea deal.
"The judge was gonna make a ruling on the illegal tracking device that was placed on his vehicle, and it was after that that the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office offered the deal to him late Wednesday," said Lewis.
Lewis said Bowling is hopeful Judge Michael Warren will give him a break at sentencing.
"A deal where he is not looking at life without the possibility of parole ... He's hopeful that the judge will look at what happened here and what his involvement was and will fashion an appropriate sentence where hopefully he will be able to get out one day," Lewis said.
Nehasil was killed in Walled last January while investigating a series of home invasions. Larry Bowling's brother, David Bowling, was also fatally shot in the exchange of gunfire that day.
A 20-year veteran of the Livonia police force, Nehasil left behind a wife and two sons.
Bowling's sentencing is scheduled for October 19.
