Detroit man sentenced for 2021 fatal shooting

A Detroit man was sentenced Tuesday for fatally shooting a woman in a car accident scam, state officials said.

Riondre Griffin, 21, intentionally crashed a pickup truck into the victim's car in Detroit on Nov. 7, 2021 to get her to stop, according to a press release from the Michigan Department of the Attorney General.

He demanded the woman pay him for damage to his car, then pulled up alongside her with three men after she refused and drove away, investigators reported.

Griffin shot the woman four times, according to the release.

A Wayne County jury convicted him for second-degree murder, carrying a concealed weapon in a motor vehicle and possessing a firearm during a felony.

A judge at the Wayne County Third Circuit Court sentenced Griffin to 25-50 years' incarceration for the murder charge, in addition to two to five years for the concealed weapons charge and two years for the felony firearm charge, according to the release.

Both sentences will be served consecutively, according to the release.

“A young woman’s life was tragically cut short by meaningless, senseless violence,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in the release. “I hope this sentence offers a sense of closure and justice for her loved ones.” 

Griffin did not receive a fair sentencing, said Craig Tank, a lawyer representing him who also said he will be looking to appeal the case.

"The judge did a better job prosecuting the case than the members of the Attorney General's Office," Tank said, referencing video tape footage he believes shows judge misconduct at the bench during sentencing.

Tank declined to comment further on the case Thursday.