KALAMAZOO (WKZO) -- Federal Judge Hugh Breneman is defending his decision to hold Kim Statler in jail because he considers him to be a threat to the community.
Statler is the brother of Danny Statler, the man who shot and killed Public Safety Officer Eric Zapata April 18.
Judge Breneman believes the brothers made it a regular habit of getting drunk and playing violent video games like Grand Theft Auto. That night they decided to fire real guns into the air. It all turned real and deadly when officers responded and Danny decided for whatever reason, to shoot It out.
Officer Zapata wound up dead and Statler committed suicide, realizing what he had done. As convicted felons, neither Kim or Danny were supposed to have contact with guns.
Kim Statler's case was turned over to the federal prosecutor as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which is specifically designed to take dangerous gun toting repeat offenders off the streets.
