Wild police chase in Wayne County • Matt DePerno denies access to tabulators • Trump supports warrant release
FRIDAY NEWS HIT - Driven by a 14-year-old suspect, three people in a stolen pickup truck took police on a wild chase through multiple Wayne County communities before they were arrested on the Southfield Freeway late Thursday night.
One of the passengers in the truck fired gunshots at pursuing officers three separate times, police said. No one was injured or hurt during the chase.
The chase started in Lincoln Park near Fort and Schaefer around 10 p.m. after police tried pulling over a Dodge Ram truck for having improper plates. The suspects instead fled the officers, leading police through Allen Park and Dearborn.
During the chase, a police scout car was struck by gunfire
The chase ended on the Southfield Freeway near Outer Drive, where the suspects - two teenagers and one adult - bailed out the vehicle. They were taken into custody after fleeing the truck.
According to police, the 14-year-old was the getaway driver. He was out on $800 bond following an incident where he shot his girlfriend. A Detroit police officer says he was wearing the same shirt he was first arrested in during the chase.
Recently, police have harped on situations involving suspects committing crimes while out on bond for other charges.
READ NEXT: Gunman who killed DPD officer accused of shooting at Eastpointe prom party in June
In one instance, a Detroit police officer died after being struck by gunfire shot by a suspect being investigated for a separate shooting incident.
The gunman in that situation, 19-year-old Ehmani Davis had been suspected of firing shots at a party in Eastpointe. Police had requested authorization to charge Davis, but they had not been filed by the time he shot Loren Courts.
"Enough's enough. We got to do something with the back end of our criminal justice system," said Detroit Deputy Chief Charles Fitzgerald. "We can't keep locking up people that are a danger to our community and citizens and then two nights later we're back involved here."
The pickup truck involved in the chase had previously been stolen out of Ecorse last November.
Matt DePerno denies having access to election tabulators
The Republican candidate for state Attorney General denied having access to election tabulators in the aftermath of the 2020 election, despite allegations from the current Attorney General Dana Nessel who requested a special prosecutor head up a case against the candidate.
"I have never had possession of any tabulators. I have never talked to any precinct clerks about gaining possession to any tabulators," Matt DePerno said on Let It Rip Thursday night. The statement comes following reports of an investigation that said DePerno was present in a room in Oakland County where officials ran "tests" and "printed" ballots from machines taken from rural Michigan counties.
The statement also contradicts reports that DePerno said "we got access to a tabulator, and we were able to simulate elections" during a podcast interview in May 2021. DePerno's admission was first reported by the Detroit News.
Nessel's office referred a case to a special prosecutor after an investigation concluded nine people, including DePerno, a Michigan sheriff and lawmaker, were all part of a scheme to collect voting machines as part of an investigation into the 2020 election.
Police: Don't leave USB plugs in Kia and Hyundai models
It’s a trend on TikTok, a how-to on stealing Kias and Hyundais. "It’s becoming a game even though there is nothing funny about it," George Glassman, president of the Glassman Automotive Group. FOX 2 told you about the so-called "Kia Boyz" last week and the social media video that has spawned imitator car thieves across the country.
Lt. Clive Stewart is with the Commercial Auto Theft Unit of the Detroit police. "Do not leave your USB visible in your cars, you’re almost giving them an extra key," he said. The numbers are staggering – in Detroit alone in July, about 150 Kias and Hyundais were stolen – and in August so far, 28.
"These kids they get in," Stewart said. "They get in with their buddies. they pile up and they ride around in them." Nowhere is immune – Eastpointe has had 15 stolen this month alone, Clinton Township has had 17 since mid-July and in Roseville, seven were stolen since June 1st and 18 more attempts.
The owner of Glassman Kia says they're inundated with repairs on these. so much so, some of the parts are backlogged – delaying repairs. The manufacturer is working on a fix. "They are doing everything they can to get a security kit out to the public sooner than later," Glassman said.
Read more on the dangerous trend here.
Spotted lanternfly in Michigan
Spotted lanternfly were found in Michigan for the first time last week. According to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the small population of the invasive insects were found in Pontiac. The United States Department of Agriculture confirmed the finding Wednesday. Spotted lanternfly pose a big danger to the state's agriculture.
"Although not unexpected, this is certainly tough news to share due to its potential to for it to negatively impact Michigan’s grape industry," said MDARD Director Gary McDowell. "Spotted lanternfly has been moving closer to the state over the last few years. MDARD, along with our state, local and federal partners, has been working tirelessly to inform and educate growers and the public about this highly invasive insect."
It could damage or kill more than 70 varieties of crops and plants including grapes, apples, hops, and hardwood trees. They suck sap from host plants and secreting large amounts of a sugar-rich, sticky liquid called honeydew. This honeydew and the resulting black sooty mold can kill plants and foul surfaces. The honeydew often attracts other pests like yellow jackets, flies, and ants
Adults are roughly one inch long. Their folded wings are gray to brown with black spots. Open wings reveal a yellow and black abdomen and bright red hind wings with black spots transitioning to black and white bands at the edge.
Read more about the invasive species here.
Rebirth of Livernois and 6 Mile
Detroit’s business scene is booming - and it’s not where you think you would find it. Move over Downtown and Midtown, the Livernois/Six Mile/McNichols business district also known as Live6, is competing for the spotlight.
"It really is the crossroads of a terrific commercial corridor and neighborhoods, that are becoming once again vibrant," said Dr. Geneva Williams. The Detroit Pizza Bar which celebrated its grand opening earlier this year is one of several businesses enjoying success on Six Mile. And as the Detroit Pizza Bar flourishes, other businesses plan to open soon in this business district.
The progress on Live6 is not just about retail it’s also about housing including a new development with all units designated for affordable rent. "We’re building a three-story 38-unit apartment building the first one to be built in area in over 50 years," said George N'Namdi, managing partner, Sawyer Art Apartments.
The city of Detroit’s Strategic Neighborhood Fund is helping to provide an economic boost for these business districts through its non-profit and private sector partners. To learn more about business opportunities through the Live6 Alliance go to Live6detroit.org
Read more about the Avenue of Fashion's return here.
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Daily Forecast
Hello more gorgeous weather, the gift of low humidity and mild temperatures will keep on giving this weekend. Plan on some rain potential this Saturday in the late afternoon.
What else we're watching
- The Oakland County Sheriff said an argument over debt led to an altercation between two custodial employees at a General Motors plant, which left one man dead. A man was arrested a short time later and the plant shutdown operations the rest of the day.
- Ribs R&B Music Festival Weekend is here with events scheduled all weekend long. After a record-setting year in 2021, huge crowds are expected to return for the "best BBQ and food this side of the Mississippi."
- Misconduct claims concerning a juror in the Whitmer kidnapping plot threatens to derail the pending re-trial of two men accused of scheming to abduct her. The news was first reported by the Detroit News.
- A new report from the Brain Injury Association of Michigan reports that nearly 7,000 people severely injured in car crashes have been discharged from hospitals - a 42% reduction in capacity of service. The discharges have risen following a cut to the state's catastrophic care network, which followed reforms to Michigan's auto insurance plan.
- Detroit appears unlikely to elect a Black representative to serve in Congress. That is, unless it votes for the Republican running in the 13th District. Democrat Shri Thanedar won the primary last week.
Former president Trump calls for 'immediate' release of Mar-a-Lago warrant
Former President Donald Trump called late Thursday for the "immediate" release of the federal warrant the FBI used to search his Florida estate, hours after the Justice Department had asked a court to unseal the warrant, with Attorney General Merrick Garland citing the "substantial public interest in this matter."
In messages posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, "Not only will I not oppose the release of documents ... I am going a step further by ENCOURAGING the immediate release of those documents." He continued to assail the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago as "unAmerican, unwarranted and unnecessary."
"Release the documents now!" he wrote.