April 15, 2025
Deshawn Dante Leeth, 30, died following an altercation with Pennsylvania State Police
A Michigan community leader was shot and killed by Pennsylvania State Troopers following an April 4 chase in a stolen Ohio State Highway Patrol vehicle.
Deshawn Dante Leeth, 30, crashed the stolen vehicle during a pursuit by Pennsylvania State Troopers as he turned onto the Ohio Turnpike. According to a police report obtained by Mlive, the chase began after Leeth assaulted an Ohio State Trooper, stealing his car to flee the scene.
The trooper had originally responded to a single-vehicle rollover crash on the turnpike. PennLive reported that the driver, identified as Leeth, began to assault the trooper before stealing the patrol vehicle to flee east toward Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania State Police troopers stopped Leeth, resulting in the stolen vehicle flipping over. As officers approached the vehicle, an altercation ensued, resulting in Leeth being shot by the troopers around 6:05 p.m., police said.
The incident remains under investigation. No Pennsylvania troopers were injured, although the Ohio officer was treated for minor injuries, PennLive reported. Pennsylvania State Police confirmed Leeth was the man involved in a news release, MLive reported.
Leeth was known in his Ypsilanti neighborhood for his advocacy work. He founded the Underdawg Nation, a nonprofit dedicated to serving children impacted by community violence in Washtenaw County and beyond. According to its website, he founded the organization following his own release from prison to spark positive change in the community he once hurt with his own actions.
Leeth became part of the board of directors for another organization, the We The People Opportunity Farm. The nonprofit gave him his first chance to give back to the neighborhood as an intern in 2021.
“You don’t have this desire to be different, you kind of give in,” explained Melvin Parson, executive director of We The People. “And Deshawn was just the polar opposite of that. His desire was to rise above—not only rise above for himself, but to rise above where he could reach back and impact other folks.”
“Like so many in the community, we are left in shock, with unanswered questions and profound sorrow,” wrote Alyshia Dyer, Washtenaw County sheriff, in a message on her social media. “…His loss will be deeply felt by the young people across our county whose lives he touched. No matter who you were or what you had been through, Deshawn showed unwavering compassion and care to everyone he worked with.”
Leeth’s family has created a GoFundMe to cover the unforeseen expenses surrounding his death.
“Deshawn was a man of unwavering faith, deep compassion, and powerful purpose,” wrote the family. “He lived every day with a heart to serve others, always ready to uplift, inspire, and create change. As the Executive Director of Underdawg Nation, Deshawn dedicated himself to supporting at-risk youth throughout Washtenaw, Wayne, and Macomb Counties. He believed in second chances, in purpose over pain, and in building a better future for the next generation.”
The crowdfunding has raised over $11,000 as of April 15.
RELATED CONTENT: Honey Beez Heartbreak: Boyfriend Charged With Capital Murder In Slaying Of Alabama State University Dancer
