Estate of Slain Man In CCC Club Files Lawsuit Against Proof Estate

The family of Keith Bender Jr. filed a lawsuit today (Aug. 22) in Wayne County Circuit County against the estate of rapper Proof. The lawsuit, which seeks an undisclosed amount, is seeking damages for a fatal shootout at the CCC Club on Eight Mile Road on April 11. The lawsuit alleges Proof was responsible for […]

The family of Keith

Bender Jr. filed a lawsuit today (Aug. 22) in Wayne County Circuit County against

the estate of rapper Proof. The

lawsuit, which seeks an undisclosed amount, is seeking damages for a fatal shootout

at the CCC Club on Eight Mile Road on April 11. The

lawsuit alleges Proof was responsible for escalating a fist fight, when the rapper

pulled a gun on Bender and shot him. As

Proof stood over Bender preparing to fire again, a bouncer at the club named Mario

Etheridge – who was also Bender’s cousin – open-fire on Proof, who died from multiple

gunshot wounds later in the evening.Prosecutors

announced they would not press murder charges against Etheridge in May, when prosecutor

Kym Worthy said Etheridge acted lawfully in defending Bender, who died almost

a week after being shot."The

evidence clearly shows that Mario Etheridge acted in lawful self-defense of another

when he shot DeShaun Holton," Worthy said "Once the gunshots started,

everything happened fairly quickly." The

Detroit Free Press

reports that Bender, a Desert Storm veteran, was celebrating

news that he had overcome a serious illness when he was shot.