‘You’re Going to Lose Your Badge’: A Michigan City Kept an Abusive Cop on the Force Because He Made Them Rich — Until His Victims Finally Made Them Pay
Justice has finally caught up to a Michigan cop with a long history of abusing Black people after a jury convicted him last month of tasering a Black man named Drakker Williams for more than 40 seconds after a traffic stop for driving around barricades in his neighborhood.
But former Melvindale Police Lt. Matthew Furman was also acquitted in connection with a couple of other incidents, including the case of Alicia Cook, a Black mother who was forced out of her car and tasered while trying to drop off her 11‑year‑old daughter at school for cheerleading practice.
Furman, who was hired in 2012, had received numerous citizen complaints over the years, resulting in at least two suspensions, and was even arrested in 2019 for assault, although those charges were dismissed. He was terminated that same year but sued to get his job back.
Meanwhile, the controversial cop — described by local media as “Melvindale’s most polarizing police officer” — continued receiving promotions despite the danger he posed to the community because he generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in tow fees for the city every year.
In fact, a former Melvindale police chief who tried to discipline Furman was fired in 2016, alleging in a wrongful‑termination suit that he was ousted for suspending Furman over “repeated incidents of police brutality.”
Fired Police Chief Claimed City Protected Officer Because He Generated Massive Tow Revenue
But instead of firing Furman for the brutality, the city fired Chief Chad Hayse, who had been hired as a Melvindale police officer in 1991 and became chief in 2012.
“The Mayor, City Council, and others disfavored Plaintiff’s attempts to hold Officer Furman accountable for his actions because if Furman was held accountable they would not benefit from the increased revenue Furman brought in with his incredibly high numbers of tickets and tows,” states Hayse’s lawsuit, filed in 2017 and later settled for an undisclosed amount.
“Accordingly, Defendants hatched a plan to get rid of Plaintiff so that they, and Goch and Sons Towing, could bring in the heightened revenue once more.”
But now it seems as if Furman’s reign of terror has ended. Or has it?
Watch the video below of Forman abusing Williams, which led to his conviction, which led to a million-dollar settlement for the Black man.
Playing the Victim
Furman, who will be sentenced on May 29, was convicted on April 23 of the common‑law offense of misconduct in office, a felony, and assault and battery, a misdemeanor, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office.
The maximum sentence is five years for the felony, but the judge will have the discretion to sentence him to probation, meaning he could receive no jail time.
The former cop has already filed lawsuits against the city of Melvindale as well as the state of Michigan, representing himself, according to online court records, although the basis of those lawsuits is not clear because the documents are not accessible through the online court system.
And knowing his history — which includes attending law school — he will likely appeal, considering he claimed during his trial to be the true victim.
Convicted Ex-Cop Claimed He Was the Real Victim While Defending Brutal Arrests
“I would say 99.9 percent of traffic stops go smoothly without incident,” Furman testified, according to WXYZ.
“But I’ve been involved in chases, I’ve had my patrol car rammed, I’ve been punched, kicked, bitten, spit on, stomped, beaten. I was dragged down the road a couple of hundred feet by a car.”
“People in handcuffs can still do bad things,” he testified, trying to justify abusing Williams while he was handcuffed.
However, even though it was reported in 2019 that Furman was in his “second year of law school,” there is no indication on the State Bar of Michigan website that he is a licensed attorney.
And even if he manages to reverse the conviction, the former cop will have a difficult time getting rehired by the Melvindale Police Department, considering the city’s insurance company dropped Melvindale as a client following William’s million-dollar settlement.
Without insurance, the city no longer valued Furman’s aggressive, revenue‑generating tactics.
“I am writing this letter to inform you that I have made the decision to terminate your employment from the City of Melvindale Police Department,” Chief Chris Egan wrote in a letter dated Feb. 11, according to local media.
“It is without question that your conduct warrants termination for cause.”
Watch the video below of Alicia Cook’s arrest, for which he was acquitted, but she still received a $350,000 settlement.
‘You’re Going to Lose Your Badge’
The lawsuit that resulted in the $1 million settlement was filed by Drakkar Williams, the Black man who was tasered and abused in July 2024 after driving around barricades in his neighborhood with his girlfriend in the passenger seat and two children in the back.
Empowered by more than a decade of getting away with his abuse, Furman was confident he would get away with it again.
But Williams predicted he would end up losing his job, which Furman laughed off.
“You’re going to lose your badge,” Williams told Furman as he sat handcuffed on the back of a fire truck.
“I ain’t going to lose sh_t, but you’re going to lose your freedom because you’re going to jail, motherf_cker,” Furman responded.
“I’ve heard that a million times, dude, you want to be a punk?” Furman continued.
“I swear to god, my lawyer is going to take care of you,” Williams promised.
“We’ll see you then,” replied Furman, not realizing he would be the one convicted.
Williams’ attorney, David Robinson, described Furman in his lawsuit as “a racist and a corrupt cop having a reputation for being highly abusive and overly aggressive.”
Robinson also claimed in his lawsuit that “Furman drafted a fictionalized version of the events in his report” that was contradicted by police body‑camera video.
Black Mother Says Officer’s Aggressive Arrest Left Her Humiliated and Terrified
Robinson also represented Cook in her lawsuit and settlement.
But the same jury that convicted Furman over Williams’ arrest acquitted him on charges arising from Cook’s arrest on April 13, 2024, where he was facing the common‑law offense of misconduct in office, as well as felonious assault and assault and battery.
Furman also pleaded no contest in a third incident from 2021, where he was charged with the common‑law offense of misconduct in office after he was accused of repeatedly kicking a handcuffed suspect following a pursuit. That charge will be dismissed by the judge on the day of his sentencing as part of the plea.
“I didn’t understand why he was so belligerent and aggressive towards me, and it sent me into a shock mode,” Cook testified during Furman’s trial.
“So much so that when he jumped through the window, I actually used the restroom on myself.”