Honest to goodness, I think there's something in the water in SE Michigan.
Don't get me wrong - I am a huge fan of Michigan and if it were not for the deadly winters, I would never consider leaving (unless or until they go from Shall Issue on carrying a concealed firearm) but there is no doubt that we have our own fair share of absolute idiots. I'm going to give you three examples from this morning's news.
Police: Armed And Dangerous Man Steals Patrol Car
Troopers Were Transferring Man To Jail
POSTED: 7:17 am EST January 17, 2005
A man who is considered armed and dangerous has reportedly escaped authorities in a Michigan State Police cruiser.
State troopers arrested John Metzelburg in Groveland Township at about 11 p.m. Sunday at an area bar for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, according to Local 4. The troopers were in the process of transferring him to the Oakland County Jail when he escaped and stole the cruiser.
Metzelburg was spotted driving south on Dixie Highway.
Anyone with information on the stolen cruiser should call police.
Refresh this page for updates.
Stay with Local 4 News and ClickOnDetroit.com for the latest developments.
Where, really, do you think there is to hide, Mr. Metzelburg? The LEO Community, and pretty much every citizen out there, wants to see you captured. And those who don't for strictly altruistic values, want the reward that will be paid.
And then we have:
Detroit Police Officer Convicted Of Drug Conspiracy
POSTED: 10:08 pm EST January 14, 2005
UPDATED: 10:27 pm EST January 14, 2005
DETROIT -- A federal jury has convicted a Detroit police officer of stealing illegal drugs and giving them to users who agreed to be filmed for his commercial Web site.
Ceiere Campbell was found guilty Friday of distributing crack cocaine and heroin and conspiracy to distribute the drugs.
Prosecutors said that between June 2002 and May 2003, Campbell stole the drugs from police raids.
The officer's Web site, StreetsIllustrated.com, no longer exists.
Campbell was suspended without pay after his arrest. Police said Friday's conviction means he'll be fired.
... and that he will forever be known as a dumbass....
And then we have the mayor, that oh-so altruistic jackass - he's taking a "ten percent" pay-cut because the City is in such Dire straits but he'll darned well make up for that....
Report: City Leases Luxury SUV During Budget Crisis
Deputy Police Chief Says Vehicle Purchased For Undercover Police Work
POSTED: 6:49 pm EST January 14, 2005
UPDATED: 7:54 pm EST January 14, 2005
Just two days after Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick announced major cuts to help eliminate a growing deficit, allegations are surfacing about the city's lease of a luxury sport utility vehicle, Local 4 reported.
The 2005 Lincoln Navigator, with a price tag of $57,000, was leased by the city through the Bob Maxey Lincoln-Mercury dealership on Jefferson Avenue in Detroit.
A 2005 Lincoln Navigator was leased by the city of Detroit with the words "mayor's lease" on the agreement.
Maxey told Local 4 that in December, a police officer came to the dealership inquiring about leasing a Navigator. Maxey said the officer told him he had a budget and wanted to sign for a one-year lease. An agreement was made on a two-year lease for the amount of $24,995, according to Maxey.
Local 4 learned that the lease deal has the words "mayor's lease" on it. Kilpatrick would not answer questions Friday regarding allegations that his wife, Carlita, had been driving the vehicle.
Deputy Mayor Anthony Adams denied that Carlita Kilpatrick ever drove the SUV.
"That vehicle was not used by the first lady, period," Adams said.
City officials claim the SUV was purchased to use in police undercover operations.
"To infiltrate that world, you have to look like a drug dealer," said James Tate, second deputy police chief.
Police said when local news organizations started asking questions about the Navigator, they decided it would no longer be safe to use it for undercover work.
When asked where the vehicle is now, Tate said, "It's still within our fleet. I don't know where it is exactly."
Tate said general funds were not used to purchase the SUV, but he wouldn't say if the money came from drug forfeiture proceeds, Local 4 reported.
An undisclosed source told Local 4 that other police departments typically work out shorter-term arrangements with car dealerships when leasing a vehicle for undercover work. The city of Detroit is apparently stuck with a vehicle it is no longer using until December 2006, the station reported.
Maxey said the price the city paid for the lease is a competitive rate.
Honest to gosh, this mayor simply cannot give up. He is definitely in my Top Five List of Really Bad Things that have happened to Detroit and its surrounding environs. The man is ghetto trash.
The Top Five List of RBT for Detroit, in no particular order:
- Coleman Young
- The Riots and the subsequent failure of motivation to recover and rebuild
- The almost total failure of the Detroit Public School system
- Affirmative Action
- Kwame Kilpatrick, Ghetto Mayor from Hell - bling, bling
Police: Storeowner Fires In Defense; Robbery Suspect Dies
Teen Suspects Charged As Adults
POSTED: 1:03 pm EST January 14, 2005
UPDATED: 1:20 pm EST January 14, 2005
A 17-year-old robbery suspect died late Thursday or early Friday after he suffered a gunshot wound when a storeowner fired in self-defense, police said.
Rashawn Edward Linnear, of Detroit, was armed with a .45 caliber handgun when he and two other teens -- 16-year-old Miguil Andrew Jackson and 15-year-old Deandre Lamar Benson -- entered the Oakland Party Store on Ten Mile Road in Southfield at about 9 p.m. Wednesday, Local 4 reported.
Storeowner Maurice Gorges fired a shot in self-defense after a 17-year-old robber pointed a gun at him, police said.
The three ordered the store's owner, 51-year-old Maurice Gorges, and a customer to the floor at gunpoint, police said.
Gorges, of West Bloomfield, said he asked the teens to leave after he emptied out his register for them.
"They kept saying, 'No. Give us the safe and the videotape (or) we're going to kill both of you,'" said the customer, whose name was being withheld.
Gorges, who purchased a gun eight years ago after his store was robbed, said he fired his weapon when Linnear pointed the handgun at him.
"I didn't want to do that … I gave him a chance, but that's his choice," Gorges said.
The 17-year-old suffered a gunshot wound to the head. He was taken to Providence Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Jackson and Benson, both from Detroit, were arrested by Southfield police. One was chased and captured by a police officer and the other was tracked down by a K-9 unit, police said.
The teens were charged as adults Thursday afternoon.
Police said they do not expect the storeowner to face charges.
And if they did, I wouldn’t necessarily be surprised, but I’m really happy the Good Guy is safe and the Bad Guys are not free to feed. Now, to wait a few hours and check the news again for the whining from the parents of the Punk with the .45. "He was a peace-loving honor student devoted to his family."
Pfffttt.
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