Racist texts circulating • Fight between kids ends with shooting • Detroit Police Chief James White's last day
FRIDAY NEWS HIT - Black residents in the Metro Detroit area and around the country have been receiving racist text messages after the election.
One woman, named Renee, said she got a text about being ready to pick cotton on Wednesday night.
"Good afternoon Renee! You have been chosen to pick cotton at your nearest plantation. Be ready at 10am with all of your personal items & possessions because you will never see them again," the message said. "We will pick you up in a white bus. You will be checked for drugs & other substances! Once you make it here you will be brought to your designed area. You are in group 10B."
Shortly after, a different woman received a similar text from a different number.
And these women aren't the only ones to get the messages.
FOX 5 Atlanta reported women receiving similar messages including some about a potential threat from white supremacists and KKK members.
According to 13 News Now in Norfolk, Virginia, numerous individuals in Virginia have received similar messages. Additionally, Black college students at the University of Alabama and Clemson University in South Carolina have reported receiving these messages, according to Sportskeeda.com.
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Detroit area women get 'plantation group' texts, among wave of racist messages nationwide
Racist messages telling people that they were selected to pick cotton for a plantation group have been received across the country -- including in the Detroit area.
Teen shoots 14-year-old, mother
A fight between two children Thursday in Detroit ended with two people shot, including a 14-year-old boy.
According to Detroit police, a 6-year-old boy and an 8-year-old boy were fighting on Delaware Street, not far from the Lodge Freeway, around 6 p.m. A 14-year-old and 13-year-old then got involved as they tried to break it up.
"They're exchanging words back and forth, back and forth. Another 13-year-old somehow related comes down to break them up," said Detroit Police Assistant Chief Charles Fitzgerald.
While the fight continued, a 16-year-old and his mother also came to the scene. That's when the 16-year-old allegedly pulled out a gun and started shooting, hitting the 14-year-old in the head and his mother in the arm.
The 14-year-old victim is currently in "extremely critical" condition, police said.
Police said the shooter was arrested, along with another person who touched the gun after shots were fired.
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Fight between younger children escalates to teen shooting 14-year-old in head in Detroit
A fight between two children Thursday in Detroit ended with two people shot, including a 14-year-old boy and the shooter's mother.
James White's last day as Detroit police chief
Three years after he assumed command of the Detroit Police Department, Chief James White is on to his next venture.
After his last day Friday, White will move on to lead the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network. He sat down with FOX 2 to reflect on his time in charge of DPD, along with the 30 years he spent in policing.
"I'm not perfect, but I'm blessed. And I try to understand that there are people that are smarter than me, there are certainly people that are taller than me," he said. "There are people that are much more gifted, but God has given me a great work ethic and great opportunity to impact lives. And I don't take that for granted."
He spoke of changes in the police department under his leadership.
White started with the basics and created an environment with zero tolerance for bias. And despite the criticism, he built the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Unit.
"And so we expanded it based on that criticism of it not being needed, because if someone thought that equity and inclusiveness is an unneeded goal in this organization, we had a problem," he said.
That came along with a focus on transparency, more officers equipped with body cameras patrolling, and an emphasis on relationships with the community.
Not long after, relations between residents and officers started changing. DPD also implemented cutting-edge crime mapping and shot spotting technology.
Violent crime dropped.
"The crime. Being able to have historic low crime in Detroit, that hasn't been seen since 1966," he said.
White said he's moving on to a mental health focused role after seeing the need for these services while in policing.
"To make sure that everyone's aware of those resources and that they know where to get them and how to access them and that we're able to communicate and relate to folks who may not be reached," he said.
Detroit's Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison will serve as the interim chief until a permanent replacement is hired.
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Bungled break-in caught on camera
It wasn't a smooth getaway for some thieves trying to steal catalytic converters off vehicles at Giovanni's Auto Sales in Detroit.
Security video shows the suspects scrambling to climb into a large white pickup truck, and one of them falling before speeding off.
"Moe, Larry Curly - they're like the Three Stooges," said Kola "Sonny" Gjonaj.
The poorly planned caper was bungled from the beginning. When the three suspects pulled up just before 5 a.m. Thursday, they promptly backed their truck into a pole. Undeterred, they set about with the Sawzall to open the gate.
They didn't know security guards were inside, watching them on camera and calling Sonny.
"They told me that someone has crashed into the pole, and they're cutting the fence," he said. "At (that) point I told them - don't engage - call the police - I'm on my way."
Once inside the lot, one suspect stopped for a bathroom break, before sliding underneath a Jeep to saw off the catalytic converter. Minutes later the men were seen arguing outside. In the meantime, security guards inside thought they might begin breaking into the building.
At that point, the guards and confronted them, leading to a comical "escape."
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"They could have said - 'I need a job' - and we would have paid them well," he said. "Instead of doing that - come ask me for a job - I'll give you one."
Steps to expand Wayne County public transit could start soon
Lawmakers will soon move forward with a plan to expand public transit in Wayne County this month, starting with a vote in November that would amend the state law that created the governing body that oversees transportation.
In what's expected to be a multi-year process, the first step is modifying a state law that removes the option for communities to opt out of paying for public transit programs like the SMART regional bus system.
"The bill is drafted. Right now, we're working to build consensus," Rep. Alabas Farhat told FOX 2 earlier this year.
County executive Warren Evans has called the current law a "dinosaur of the past" and that updating it is "critical to growth" in Wayne County.
Of the 43 cities and townships in the county, 17 do not pay for public transit. That means someone in Dearborn, who does pay for transit, can't get on a bus on Michigan Avenue and travel to Canton Township, which does not pay for transit.
This patchwork of available transit has also prevented Wayne County from strategizing a larger regional transit plan with other Southeast Michigan counties like Oakland and Macomb counties.
"It's kind of ridiculous," Evans said. "We spend tons of money on workforce development, we spend money on health care and health services, and then we prevent people from getting to them."
Oakland County ended its opt-out function in 2022 using its own ballot proposal. Before then, transit gaps in the suburbs meant bus routes on Woodward Avenue or Grand River were fragmented, preventing people from accessing popular destinations like Twelve Oaks Mall.
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Steps to expand Wayne County public transit could start with November vote in legislature
After years of waiting, Wayne County could soon expand its public transit by removing the option for communities to opt-out of the network. Here's how that could happen:
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Daily Forecast
A nice Friday will continue into the weekend before rain Sunday.
What else we're watching
- Ann Arbor police say a driver pulled a gun on a bicyclist and threatened him after almost hitting him Thursday afternoon. They are now looking for the suspect.
- A third suspect has been charged in connection with a Melvindale shooting that killed a man in May. Kyren Harris, 20, of Van Buren Township was arraigned in court on Tuesday for the deadly shooting of Frederick Coleman.
- Work has begun to build a Nino Salvaggio at Schoolcraft College. The grocery store will give students real world experience.
- Three years after opening, Chesterfield Township's Arctic Circle Brewing Co. is closing next month.
- An investigation is underway after a body was found in a trash can near I-75 and Eight Mile in Detroit.
Trump names Susie Wiles as chief of staff
President-elect Donald Trump has named Susie Wiles as his White House chief of staff. Wiles would become the first woman to ever hold the influential role.
Wiles is widely credited within and outside Trump’s inner circle for running what was, by far, his most disciplined and well-executed campaign, and was seen as the leading contender for the position. She largely avoided the spotlight, even refusing to take the mic to speak as Trump celebrated his victory early Wednesday morning.
She was able to do what few others have been able to: help control Trump’s worst impulses — not by chiding him or lecturing, but by earning his respect and showing him that he was better off when he followed her advice than flouted it.
"Susie is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected. Susie will continue to work tirelessly to Make America Great Again," Trump said in a statement. "It is a well deserved honor to have Susie as the first-ever female Chief of Staff in United States history. I have no doubt that she will make our country proud."
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Trump names Susie Wiles as chief of staff; 1st woman to ever hold the role
President-elect Donald Trump has named Susie Wiles, the manager of his victorious campaign, as his White House chief of staff.