Michigan gas prices soar over national average • Off-duty officer shot at • Novi Carvana dealership suspended

MONDAY NEWS HIT - And just like that, high gas headlines have returned to Michigan following another 19-cent jump in prices from a week ago. It now costs $4.36 per gallon in Michigan - more than a dollar higher than this time last year. 

Though figures like that may not mean much considering gas prices have seen extreme fluctuations since last spring. The highest gas prices are in Lansing and Saginaw, while the cheapest are in Metro Detroit at $4.29.

That adds up to about $65 for a full tank of gas. 

While global unrest has unraveled the oil market, it's been local issues that have driven up the regional cost. Pump prices in Michigan spiked after a refinery fire in Toledo left two dead in late September. The BP Husky Toledo plant refines some 160,000 barrels of oil a day. But due to an ongoing investigation into the blaze, it may not reopen until December. 

That could mean a squeeze on supplies in the Midwest for months. 

Another pressure point on U.S. energy supplies comes following reports that the oil cartel OPEC+ announced plans to cut crude production by 2 million barrels this fall. Though, any reaction to the move that some view as political may have already shaken out over fears of a recession that have been baked into economic worries in the U.S. for much of the fall.

The U.S. has weighed boosting production elsewhere such as Venezuela where it could allow a Chevron-based plant to reopen. The amount of oil that could be produced would replace what's lost from other sources such as the Arabic region and Russia.

More Michigan gas prices news here.

Off duty Detroit police officer hurt in shooting

An off-duty police officer was treated for a non-life-threatening injury after an unknown number of suspects approached him while he was sitting in car and began shooting. 

The scene prompted multiple officers and agencies to respond to the area of Eight Mile and Evergreen early Monday morning.

According to Detroit police, an off-duty officer was sitting in his vehicle with a woman when several individuals approached them. Two of the individuals started firing shots into the car. 

No one was struck, but the off duty officer did receive cuts on his arm from glass. He was treated and released at the scene. The shooting happened in the 19400 block of Fielding Street. 

Find more info here.

Carvana dealership in Novi has license suspended

A local car dealership in Southeast Michigan has racked up a slew of violations, leading to the car shop's license being suspended, the Michigan Secretary of State said. The state agency said the Carvana outlet in Novi failed to maintain proper vehicle records, improperly issuing temporary registrations, violating terms of probation agreement over a hundred times, and committing other "fraudulent acts" when selling vehicles.

According to MDOS, Carvana dealership employees admitted to destroying title applications and other documents pertaining to the sale of three vehicles that were sold to customers. The agency said the violations created an "imminent threat" to public health and required emergency action. A release from the state said the dealership is owned by Paul Breaux.

Issues at the dealership began in February 2021 when regulatory staff noted multiple reports of non-compliance from the Carvana store. A preliminary conference in March 2021 was held between the state and employees of Carvana to address the violations. The dealership then entered an 18-month probation agreement with a $2,500 administrative fine and admission of several code violations. 

Consumers who have a complaint against Carvana, or who have purchased a vehicle from that dealer and have had problems obtaining the title, are encouraged to call the Office of Investigative Services automotive complaint line at 517-335-1410.

Learn more about the suspension here.

Dearborn Hampton Inn shooting suspect charged

Thirty-seven-year-old Reichard Lee Williams-Lewis was charged today in connection with the fatal shooting of a Hampton Inn employee and a 7-hour standoff with Dearborn Police. Multiple hotel staff members told Dearborn police about a man having pointed a rifle at them. 

One 21-year-old staff member said she had injures in her eyes face after the suspect shot an office door. Williams-Lewis was found by a response team on the third floor of the hotel, Dearborn police said.

They also found a 55-year-old staff member who was found dead. At one point, the suspect asked to speak to defense attorney Gabi Silver, who was called to assist with negotiations. He eventually exited the hotel room and was arrested by Dearborn SWAT officers.

Williams-Lewis was charged Sunday with one count of premeditated first-degree murder, one count of assault with intent to murder, two counts of felonious assault, one count of resisting and obstructing a police officer, and five counts of felony firearm.

Find more details on the shooting here. 

Michigan State Police training academy is ‘where a recruit is built’

So the saying goes: "If you think you can…you will. If you think you can't…you're right." That's what the sign at Michigan State Police headquarters in Ingham County reads - words that new recruits face during 20 weeks of some of the toughest training they could see. 

"We believe in earning our badge here," said Training Division Commander Capt. James Grady.

While much of the footage shows physical training, to meet the expectations of state police recruits will also need to take implicit bias training, practice in deescalation and police pursuits, while also learning how to maintain composure and paying attention to detail.

It's the place where an errant strand of lint could get someone in trouble. But in the real world, it's the little things that may make the biggest difference. 

Live on FOX 2

Daily Forecast

A chilly start will give way to warmer temperatures in the afternoon Monday. To keep things in perspective, warm in this sense means mid-60s. Tuesday will be much warmer and likely the temperature peak of the week.

What else we're watching

1. Oct. 10 is World Homeless Day and the group Empowerment Plan is showing off some of its sleeping bag coats that operate with duel functions for those looking at a cold winter. Watch FOX 2's Josh Landon for more.
2. Normally after the primary, candidates will begin to soften their tone and appeal to moderates. But that's not what statewide Michigan Republican candidates vying spots in the governors seat, secretary of state, and attorney general are doing.
3. Canton police rescued an owl that became trapped in a soccer goal net Sunday. The incident happened at Field Elementary and required untangling the raptor from the netting. See photos here.
4. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has extended a law that mandates people convicted of crimes continue paying a portion of local court expenses. The practice raises millions of dollars for local governments, but some say it hurts people with low incomes the most. See details of the law here.
5. Curious what is open and closed on Indigenous People's Day? We've got you covered with the holiday guide here.

Putin calls Crimea bridge attack 'a terrorist act' carried out by Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday called the attack that damaged the huge bridge connecting Russia to its annexed territory of Crimea "a terrorist act" masterminded by Ukrainian special services.

The Kerch Bridge, which holds important strategic and symbolic value to Russia in its faltering war in Ukraine, was hit a day earlier by what Moscow has said was a truck bomb. Road and rail traffic on the bridge were temporarily halted, damaging a vital supply route for the Kremlin’s forces.

"There’s no doubt it was a terrorist act directed at the destruction of critically important civilian infrastructure of the Russian Federation," Putin said during a meeting with the chairman of Russia’s Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin. "And the authors, perpetrators, and those who ordered it are the special services of Ukraine."

More information here.