KALAMAZOO, MI — A man was found in contempt and spent the night in jail after an outburst in court, according to officials.

Montine Wiley Sr., 51, was in court Thursday, May 22, in a hearing for a man charged with murdering his son, Montine Wiley Jr.

During testimony, Wiley burst forward toward the alleged killer, Kaiden Cole, 18, and attempted to cross a court barrier. Deputies tackled him and held him down.

Montine Wiley Sr., father of the victim, is detained after attempting to cross the court barricade during a preliminary hearing for Kaiden Cole, 18, at Kalamazoo County District Court on Thursday, May 22, 2025. (Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com)

Family members urged Wiley to be calm as deputies stood him up and walked him out the door and into a secure area of the courthouse.

Wiley was seen by Judge Kathleen Hemingway Friday and the judge ruled he was in contempt. He was released after getting credit for the time he served in jail, of two days, for the overnight stay, according to staff at the judge’s office.

The Kalamazoo County Prosecutor’s Office said it received a charging request for Wiley.

The county Jail log indicates “warrant denied” on a potential assault charge.

The Kalamazoo County Prosecutor’s Office said it will be asking the Michigan Attorney General’s Office to appoint a special prosecutor to review the case for potential charges, to avoid any potential conflict of interest.

If the special prosecutor determines charges are appropriate, they will also handle prosecution of the case, Kalamazoo County Prosecutor’s Office said.

Taneka Dumas, the mother of the victim, was also in attendance.

“He’s hurting and it makes sense that he acted out of pure adrenaline and emotion,” Dumas said.

It was the first time family members saw the alleged killer in person, she said.

Emotions were “all over the place” in the courtroom and Wiley may be feeling survivor’s guilt, she said.

“He was there when it happened and he couldn’t save him, but I’m sure he would have saved him if he could have,” she said.

After the outburst on Thursday, Hemingway and other court officials acknowledged high emotions in the room.

“I expect appropriate courtroom behavior from everyone in attendance,” Hemingway said. “The deputies are in charge of security of this courtroom and anyone who does not abide by the court’s order will be removed.”

She was “taken aback” by the activities that occurred, but ruled there was not a safety issue with continuing the hearing. The judge said she saw people trying to deescalate the situation, while court was in recess.

“I certainly don’t appreciate seeing someone coming toward the court,” Hemingway said. “I appreciate the deputies’ swift movement to not cause further harm.”

Wiley was taken into custody for not abiding by the rules, the judge said after it happened.

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Outside, family members were distraught to see Wiley led away.

Wiley was with his son on the night of the fatal shooting. They were providing security at a private event near downtown Kalamazoo at Green Door Distilling when a single gunshot rang out, according to witness testimony.

Wiley Jr. was shot in the chest. An officer testified Wiley had no pulse as CPR was administered. He died a short time later.

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Montine Wiley Jr. remembered

While Wiley Sr. was released the morning after the outburst, Cole was bound over for a trial in circuit court. Barring any settlement, Cole will face a jury trial to determine if he is guilty of the fatal shooting.

Cole is from Battle Creek. He is one of three people charged related to the fatal shooting.

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