The estate of Benjamin Walby, a 22-year-old Michigan Tech student, sued Houghton and Hancock, along with 11 officers, over his 2024 death following a tasing and restraint incident.

The estate of Benjamin Walby, a 22-year-old Michigan Tech student, has filed a federal lawsuit against the cities of Houghton and Hancock, Houghton County, and 11 officers, alleging excessive force led to his death in March 2024. The suit claims officers responded to a noise complaint, tased him 17 times, hogtied him in a prone position for nearly 20 minutes, and placed him in a snowy street, causing oxygen deprivation. Walby died on April 4, 2024, after two weeks on a ventilator. The family’s lawyers assert civil rights were violated and demand over $75,000 per defendant. The Hancock Police Department acknowledged the lawsuit but declined to comment on ongoing litigation.