Detroit block party crackdown • Michigan cop charged with lying to police • Critical blood shortage

THURSDAY NEWS HIT - After a block party turned violent last weekend, Detroit police are on the lookout for illegal gatherings.

A shooting at the party on the city's east side early Sunday left two dead and 19 others hurt. And it's not the first block party shooting since it's started to get warm.

The weekend's mass shooting lead to a call to action. Now, an 80-person patrol unit will be on the lookout Thursday night and through the weekend, keeping their eyes open for anything that could mean an illegal party is happening.

In order to have a legal block party, an application must be filed with the City of Detroit.

The applicant must be the president or chair of the block club and must reside on the block, according to the city application's guidelines. And in order for the street to be closed, 75% approval of the households residing on the block involved is required.

"We've gotta stop, man. We've gotta do something better than what we've been doing," said a man who goes by Q. His niece, Shanae Fletcher, was killed at Sunday's party.

Michigan cop charged with lying to police

A police officer in Lapeer County is facing charges after she allegedly lied to investigators about a crash her son was involved in.

Amanda Szymanski, with the Almont Police Department, is accused of telling investigators that she was with her 15-year-old son at the time of the crash that left an Amazon driver with life-threatening injuries. The teen left the crash scene.

The Macomb County Prosecutor's Office said Szymanski wasn't with her son. Macomb County is handling the case due to a potential conflict of interest in Lapeer County court.

Szymanski, who was a Ferndale officer before heading up to Almont, is still on the job after the July 2023 crash, said Jim Tignanelli, of the Police Officers Association of Michigan.

Sources tell FOX 2 Almont Police Department bosses want her on administrative leave, but a top official allegedly blocked the move. She’s now scheduled to work again later this week.

Szymanski is charged with giving false information to a police officer, while her son was charged with failure to stop at the scene of a crash resulting in serious impairment or death. 

"This officer could be in a world of crap," said Steve Dolunt, a retired Detroit police assistant chief.

Blood donors needed amid critical shortage

Michigan's blood supply level is dangerously low, and donors are needed to help get numbers back up.

"We need more donors. Our donor center is open four days a week, and our chairs are very empty," said Kaila Dinallo, of Versiti Blood Center in Farmington Hills.

This is dangerous because of blood is needed, it might not be available.

"We are less than one-day blood supply for most blood types," she said. "Some blood types, less than a two-day supply. If there was a mass trauma or tragedy here in our community, there is a chance there is not going to be blood on shelves for patients."

It doesn't matter what blood type you are, when patients are in trauma and in dire need of blood fast, O negative is the type that works for everyone.

"I'm an O negative blood type, which is the universal blood type," she said. "So I can donate to everyone but only O negative donors can donate to me," she said. "So a little bit selfishly, I really watch that inventory number. I want to make sure that we have blood on our shelves for patients."

If you want to give blood, go to versiti.org

Suspect ordered to trial after Deputy Reckling's murder

A suspect charged after the murder of Oakland County Deputy Bradley Reckling is headed to trial.

Karim Blake Moore, 18, wasn't the shooter, but he was there June 22, and authorities say he lied to police after they picked him up a few blocks away. He's now charged with three counts of lying to a peace officer during a violent crime investigation and one count of resisting arrest.

During Wednesday's court hearing, a detective called to testify said that Moore told police that he didn't know who was driving or where anyone of his friends were seated in the stolen vehicle.

According to Detroit Police Sgt. Reginald Beasley, Moore said he was headed to another friend's home with two friends in a white SUV when the vehicle stopped and everyone got out. Moore told police that he ran after seeing police lights and hearing a gunshot. According to what he told police, he ran because he didn't want to get shot.

"This kid knew who he was running from, and why he was running," said the prosecutor. "That’s because shots were just fired at police. So he chose to absent himself from that scene after the sirens activated."

Crash rates down

According to data from Michigan State Police, crash rates fell last year.

There were 1,095 road deaths reported in 2023, compared to 1,123 fatalities reported in 2022 – which is a 2% decrease, MSP released. The total number of traffic collisions from 2022 to 2023 also saw a 2% decline – from 293,341 to 287,953.

That's good news, but there is some bad news - crashes involving at-risk roadway users like pedestrians and cyclists saw an uptick of over 10%. 

"We all have to share that same roadway, so we got to watch out for those risky driving behaviors," said MSP F/Lt. Mike Shaw. "If you're a bicyclist, make sure you're following the law. If you're a pedestrian, make sure you're using crosswalks."

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What else we're watching

1. Angelo Raptoplous, a suspect charged in connection with the murder of Dan ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson was sentenced Wednesday to 4-15 years in prison. The sentence comes after he struck a deal with prosecutors. 
2. The five teen boys who were shot during a Fourth of July house party in Pontiac are now home from the hospital.
3. A man who authorities say confessed to killing his mother and shooting his brother in Clinton Township is now facing charges. Corey Deyshaun Cook allegedly drove to the police department and said he shot two people after the July 5 crime.
4. The fund dedicated to attracting large-scale business ventures in Michigan is scaling back the massive investment it had agreed to give Ford for its planned Marshall battery manufacturing plant.
5. The Wyandotte Street Art Fair is underway. See the work of more than 300 artists at the annual event now through Saturday.

What Project 2025 could mean for Social Security

Project 2025 continues to draw interest from conservatives and liberals alike as the November presidential election gets closer.

After actress Taraji P. Henson mentioned the initiative during the 2024 BET Awards, the matter even elicited responses from both former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden.

The initiative, also known as the Presidential Transition Project, is a collection of conservative policy proposals and a "playbook" that offers recommendations for Donald Trump to follow if he is reelected as president in November.

"The 2025 Presidential Transition Project paves the way for an effective conservative administration based on four pillars: a policy agenda, presidential personnel database, presidential administration academy, and playbook for the first 180 days of the next administration," explained the project's organizers, The Heritage Foundation.

Project 2025’s ‘Mandate for Leadership’ calls for a number of changes to the federal government, but it does not specifically address any changes to the Social Security program.

"Mandate for Leadership does not advocate cutting Social Security," Project 2025 posted via X on July 9.

That said, it has long been a GOP-backed ideal to raise the retirement age for U.S. citizens.