Chaotic scenes play out in Detroit, explaining Michigan's 'runaway' infections, a flight on Mars

MONDAY NEWS HIT - Detroit police are investigating separate incidents that played out last night that included a quintuple shooting, a police chase, and gunfire exchanges with law enforcement that killed one.

Police say both scenes are connected.

The first scene occurred at Ward and McNichols Sunday night when five people were shot. Nobody died.

A while later, a police chase ensued that ended on 8 Mile and Gratiot Monday morning. Police currently have a large section of the road closed.

State troopers that became involved in assisting with the first investigation said it was later determined that the suspect involved in the earlier incident had fired shots at police who were at the crime scene. 

He then led the police on a chase north.

The suspect was reportedly driving a black GMC when he traveled north on Gratiot before getting to 8 Mile. At that point, the suspect exited his vehicle at a strip mall just south of 8 Mile and ran west toward Mohican Street.

While fleeing, he fired shots at police who returned fire. 

The suspect was killed as a result of the shooting.

Detroit police haven't released an official statement. The chief is expected to give an update at 11 Monday morning.

There were more than 70 evidence markers at the scene, indicating the breadth of the investigation that unfolded.

Why is COVID-19 a 'runaway train' in Michigan?

In many ways, Michigan's COVID-19 spike is a case study for what happens when reopening takes place during the vaccination process. But there's much more to the state's outbreak that makes the case an anomaly of sorts.

That's because even with restrictions on capacity and mask-wearing, Michigan is still seeing growth in cases, even as other states like Texas and Florida who have fewer rules aren't seeing the same spread.

Why? There's a lot of reasons, with some dealing with kids back in schools, the weather still a little too cold, the product of other variants and the amount of immunity already present in the population.

But most importantly, its evidence that people are still too skeptical of the vaccine while they may not take precautions recommended by the state seriously enough. Read more about Michigan's rise here.

Whitmer eyes potential drop in infections

Even with all of the infections, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Sunday that Michigan could be seeing a drop in infections soon. So far, the governor has declined to implement new business restrictions.

While she didn't cite specific data, Whitmer told NBC's "Meet the Press" that cases could be slowing down. one of the reasons could be the drop in the seven-day average for test positivity. So far, it's at 17.1% - which is still far higher than what health experts would prefer.

Whitmer also put some blame on the state GOP and a ruling by the state Supreme Court that stripped her of her powers to mandate new restrictions.

"I don't have all of the exact same tools," she said. "Despite those things, we still have some of the strongest mitigation measures in the country."

Chief Craig calls on Tlaib to resign.

A tweet from a Michigan Congresswoman last week is still rippling the news cycle after the Detroit Police Chief called on her to resign. 

Rep. Rashida Tlaib said there should be "no more police" after another fatal shooting of a Black man by a white police officer was committed. That officer has resigned and charged with second-degree manslaughter after she says she mistakenly fired her gun instead of her taser. 

Chief James Craig's office and others have criticized the Detroit lawmaker in the past. On FOX 2's Let It Rip, Craig said "I'd love to see her resign. I'd throw her a goodbye party."

A statement from Tlaib's office admonished the chief and said "it's disappointment and unproductive for Chief Craig to run to the cameras to call for Congresswoman Tlaib's resignation."

What else we're watching

1. Ford is offering on-site vaccination to all of its employees at manufacturing facilities in Michigan, Ohio, and Missouri. The program is for people who have had difficulty getting an appointment
2. The Wayne County Health Department is also adding more vaccine options, opening two clinics in Belleville and in Flat Rock. It will increase capacity for the county by 20,000.
3. Yard waste collection resumes in Detroit this week. Starting Monday, trash collectors will also take refuse for the next 36 weeks.
4. There are now four people vying for the open Detroit City Council seat, with Davion Reeder joining Virgil Smith, Toson Knight, and M.L. Elrick vying for the District 4 seat.
5. NASA has managed to fly a helicopter on Mars for the world's first flight on another planet. Ingenuity performed the feat this morning.

Live on FOX 2

Daily Forecast

Monday is going to be warm, but the next couple of days after that are going to be on the chilly side. Expect some clouds today and rain tomorrow.

Closing arguments in the trial of Derek Chauvin begin today

Both sides will present closing statements Monday in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged in the death of George Floyd.  

Following closing arguments, jury instructions will be given by Judge Peter Cahill before deliberations begin. The jury will be fully sequestered until they reach a verdict. 

Prosecutor Steve Schleicher will deliver the closing arguments for the state, followed by closing arguments from defense attorney Eric Nelson. Prosecutor Jerry Blackwell will handle the rebuttal. 

The trial began with jury selection on March 8, with opening arguments taking place on March 29. During the three weeks of testimony, jurors heard from eyewitnesses, Floyd’s girlfriend and brother, Minneapolis police officials including Chief Medaria Arradondo, use of force experts and medical experts. Chauvin choose not to testify, invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.