Keith Appling, the 24-year-old former Michigan State University basketball star, has been having a tough go of it lately. In the wake of two arrests for weapons related charges, Appling has now been ordered to stand trial by Judge Kenneth King of the 36th District Court in Detroit.
It all began back in early May. Appling was arrested outside the Pantheon Club, a Dearborn strip club, with a loaded AK 47. Security employees at the club reported to police that Appling had been seen pulling a large gun from the trunk of his vehicle. Police arrived and searched the car, finding a handgun under the front seat and the AK 47 in the trunk. They also claimed to have found a small amount of marijuana.
Appling was charged with Carrying a Concealed Weapon, Possession of a Loaded Firearm in a Vehicle, and Possession of Marijuana. But it only got worse from there. Not days before his first scheduled court appearance for a preliminary hearing, Appling was arrested a second time.
Cops noticed what looked like a weapon as they approached car
On the second occasion he was the passenger in his brother’s vehicle. Cops pulled the car over for speeding but noticed what looked like a weapon as they were approaching the vehicle. Again the car was searched and again a weapon was found. And once again, Appling was charged with Carrying a Concealed Weapon.
Appling’s brother, Kenneth Appling, has a Concealed Pistol License (CPL) which is why he was not charged with any gun charges. He was however, given a speeding ticket for driving over the posted speed limit.
Appling’s attorney says that the gun doesn’t belong to Appling and was placed in the car by a third party. He says that the weapon is registered to the third party who was present in the vehicle at one point that day and got out, leaving the gun behind.
He also says that police have fabricated testimony about having seen the weapon before searching the car. The reason, he claims, is because there is no mention of a weapons sighting before the search in the police report.
The district court judge disagrees. Judge King says that the officers were entirely within their rights to search the vehicle having seen what they believed was a weapon. “The officers had a duty to investigate further for their safety, as well as the safety for their partners” Judge King ruled.
In the testimony provided by arresting officers, Appling admitted to them that there was a gun inside the vehicle but also claimed falsely to have a CPL like his brother. Appling’s next court appearance is scheduled for August 2nd in the Wayne County Circuit Court.