Alleged cop killer's exam rescheduled

A preliminary exam for the Detroit man charged with the murder of Larry Nehasil, a Livonia police officer who was killed in the line of duty in a Walled Lake undercover sting operation in January, has been adjourned until May 4.

The exam, initially scheduled for March 24, was postponed at the request of Randy Lewis, court-appointed attorney for Terry Neil Bowling, 48. Lewis stated he had a conflict with the hearing date.

Bowling’s charges include felony murder after he and his brother allegedly attempted to break into a Walled Lake home, an incident that resulted in the death of both his brother and Nehasil.

If convicted, the murder charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison without parole.

Bowling is also charged with first-degree home invasion, which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $5,000 fine; and assaulting, resisting, and obstructing a police officer, punishable by two years in prison and/or a $2,000 fine. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The preliminary exam is now set for 1 p.m. on May 4 before 52-1 District Court Judge Dennis Powers.

According to officials, Bowling and his brother David Bowling, 44, were being evicted from their Detroit rental home and entered the Walled Lake area on Jan. 17 to collect a $30 debt owed them. On the way out, they noticed a neighboring homeowner leaving, and allegedly seized the opportunity. The pair reportedly broke into the home in the 100 block of Glenwood and attempted to steal a cache of valuables including a .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun, the same gun allegedly used to shoot and kill Nehasil minutes later.

Nehasil, a former Milford resident, was part of a six-member Intelligence Bureau team working on a case involving break-ins in the metro Detroit area when the suspects were confronted in the residential Walled Lake neighborhood that straddles the border with Commerce Township.

Nehasil pursued David Bowling, while other officers rounded up Terry Bowling after he backed his 2004 Ford Taurus into a police car while trying to escape.

David Bowling sustained two fatal gunshots to the chest. Nehasil was mortally wounded after sustaining a gunshot to the head. His bullet-proof vest deflected four shots to his hip, thigh, buttocks, and back. Both died at the scene.

Terry Bowling has a long list of criminal convictions dating back to the 1980s for armed robbery, possession of a controlled substance and gun charges.