Kwame Kilpatrick pushes for prison reform, DTW North Terminal's new name, Chief White on Project Green Light
MONDAY NEWS HIT - A 53-year-old gas station clerk was killed by shoplifters during a hit-and-run.
"Somebody hit him and took off, and now he is murdered," his wife said.
The incident happened on the night of February 27 at the Marathon gas station on Telegraph Rd near I-96 in Redford. Surveillance video captured the horrific hit-and-run.
The victim's wife only found out after she tried to get ahold of him that night and couldn't.
"I always call and check on him and I didn't get a response so then when I called his phone, someone answered and said I'm here with your husband, and he is injured," his wife said.
He was taken to the hospital but later died from his injuries.
"He's got an 18-year-old son, 21-year-old daughter... just a hard-working guy looking to live the American dream."
The family wants to remain anonymous at this time. The victim, Gerry, worked at the gas station for 30 years, according to the family.
"It's heartbreaking. We've been numb for the past two weeks. His kids are lost and his wife… what is she going to do? It's terrible."
The owner of the gas station has offered to pay a $5,000 reward to anyone with information leading to an arrest.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Redford Police Department.
Kwame Kilpatrick, allies advocate for prison reform
Faith leaders and prison reform advocates were at New Bethel Church in Pontiac for Redemption Sunday where public figures like Detroit's own Kwame Kilpatrick pushed for reforms to the penal system in Michigan.
For Kilpatrick and Alice Johnson, offering ways to reduce incarceration would lead to better behavior inside the prison and lead to shorter sentences for those looking start over. "I’m really thankful to be here today to help shine a light on what is very much missing in the penal system here," said Alice Johnson, who was commuted in 2018 after spending 21 years of a life sentence for a non-violent drug offense.
After being released at 63 years old, Johnson has made it her mission to push for better prison practices. During a service Sunday, she pushed for restoring Michigan's good time credit system. It would allow prisoners to earn credit toward their release for good behavior.
It really helps motivate those who are incarcerated to help good behavior. It helps stem violence in prison," she said. "If someone is doing well in prison - they’ve turned their lives around - should that not count for something?"
Mike Duggan tests positive for Covid
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has tested positive for COVID-19. He's experiencing mild symptoms. Duggan said in a Facebook post that he took a COVID-19 test Sunday morning that read a positive result.
"I'm really glad I got the booster shot. The symptoms I have are mild - much like an average cold. Fortunately, my wife Sonia has tested negative," he said. Duggan said he originally woke up with a cough and took an at-home Covid test on Saturday. The result came back negative - but he chose to stay home.
The cough persisted Sunday morning, prompting him to take another test. It's the first time Duggan has been confirmed positive with the virus.
COVID-19 cases have trended down in recent months following the country's surge with the omicron variant. The state reported another 1,661 cases over a two-day period Friday.
DTW's North Terminal gets a new name
After being the terminal for travelers for 14 years, Detroit Metro Airport's North Terminal is getting a new name: the Warren Cleage Evans Terminal.
The honor, typically bestowed after someone has died, was instead approved while Warren Evans is still in office as Wayne County's Executive. It follows the pattern set by the naming of the McNamara Terminal after Wayne County's former executive.
"Ed McNamara said many many years ago there are really only two kinds of people. Those who want to do something and those who want to be somebody. And it's always stuck in my mind that public service is about doing things for people," Evans told FOX 2 in February.
The signs have already been changed. All that needs to happen is the ceremony, which is scheduled for 2 p.m.
How Detroit police balance civil liberties and rights with maintaining safety in the community
Detroit's Green Light Program has led to a 23% reduction in crime at sites that employ the software offered by police. Yet, even with its measured success, the community continues to view it with skepticism. The same goes for facial recognition, revealing the careful line that organizations must walk between maintaining safety for citizens and respecting their liberties and rights.
It's a balance that Chief James White is all to aware of. "The benefit of a green light is tremendous because we've been able to catch some violent predators who are victimizing our community - maybe even down the street from a green light," he said. "So the hope is that people look at that and, if crime is a business to them, and they look at it and say ‘I don’t want to commit a crime in that area,’ that's one less victim for us is a win."
White guaranteed the department doesn't point surveillance cameras any direction besides towards the business. Those businesses also don't get preferential treatment, White said. He also emphasized the role that facial recognition plays in police work is a supportive one that is only deployed on photos and videos selected by police. "There are no cameras that are rolling and using facial recognition throughout the community."
Chief James White on civil liberties and rights and the balance police strike between the two
Despite its implementation and measured success with a lower crime rate, programs like Project Green Light and Detroit Police's use of facial recognition programs have continued to be met with skepticism from a wary community.
White, who says he is on the committee that wrote the policy on civil liberties and facial recognition, said anyone caught using the software inappropriately would be likely removed from their job.
What else we're watching
- Ford's new hybrid work model starts today as workers venture back to the office for the first time in at least two years. The app they're using may not be the last example of a major company using a reservation tool for workers to find work space.
- Michigan State Police say a driver was traveling recklessly with no lights on I-75 when they crashed near Dearborn Street. When they lost control, they struck a concrete barrier, then a semi-truck. The driver is in the hospital with critical injuries.
- The slow crawl toward more affordable gas prices took another step Monday as AAA reports Michigan gas prices were down another 10 cents from last week. The cost is still 30 cents more than this time last month.
- Warren police say the second suspect in a fatal gas station shooting on March 23 will be arraigned Monday. Christopher Slade was taken into custody Friday following an investigation into the murder of a 46-year-old man.
- Detroit Metro Airport is getting a new name - at least the North Terminal is. Warren Evans is being honored Monday and his name will take over as the identity of the DTW terminal. A dedication ceremony is scheduled at 2 p.m.
Live on FOX 2
Daily Forecast
The spring showers have arrived, but the warmer temperatures associated with the change of the seasons is lagging slightly. The first round of precipitation this week will be a wintry mix that extends until the early afternoon when it transitions to rain.
Russia faces growing outrage amid new evidence of atrocities in Ukraine
Russia faced a fresh wave of condemnation on Monday after evidence emerged of what appeared to be deliberate killings of civilians in Ukraine. Some Western leaders called for further sanctions in response to the alleged atrocities, even as Moscow continued to press its offensive in the country's east.
Germany's defense minister suggested the European Union discuss a ban on Russian gas imports, but more senior officials indicated an immediate boycott was not possible — a sign that leaders could struggle in the short-term to ramp up already severe sanctions on Russia.
Ukrainian officials said bodies of 410 civilians were found in towns around the capital, Kyiv, that were recaptured from Russian forces in recent days. In Bucha, northwest of the capital, Associated Press journalists saw 21 bodies. One group of nine, all in civilian clothes, were scattered around a site that residents said Russian troops used as a base. They appeared to have been shot at close range. At least two had their hands tied behind their backs.
The images of battered bodies lying in the streets or hastily dug graves unleashed a wave of outrage that could signal a turning point in the nearly 6-week-old war. But sanctions have thus far failed to halt the offensive, and rising energy prices along with the tight controls on Russian currency market have blunted their impact, with the ruble rebounding strongly after initially crashing.