Body found believed to be ex-cop • Oxford victim's mother remembers son • Man hurt in road rage shooting
FRIDAY NEWS HIT - A decomposing body found Thursday is believed to be former Detroit police officer Stephon Hodo.
Police had been looking for Hodo for his safety after his neighbor used his guns and vehicle for shootings two weeks ago.
"We don't know. We're going to let the medical examiner do their evaluation and see if we can identify the body that we found. Sadly, a lot of things are pointing to that it may in fact be our retired police officer," Detroit Police Chief James White said.
Decomposing body on Detroit's west side believed to be missing ex DPD officer
Two weeks after a former Detroit Police Officer was reported missing following two drive-by shootings that were committed in his car, police chief James White said remains found decomposing in a park are believed to be his.
The body was found at Stoepel Park on the west side.
After the shootings DPD executed a search warrant at Hodo's home, where police say it looked like a struggle occurred - and next door at his neighbor’s – the shooter who police have in custody.
"At the house. there does appear to be a little bit of a struggle. We just want to make sure he is okay, and in case there are any other questions we have for him," Assistant Detroit Police Chief Charles Fitzgerald said. "We are looking for this individual (Hodo) because we don't know how he's connected to anything. Mostly for his own safety."
Mother of Oxford victim honors memory, remembers son
Jill Soave, the mother of Justin Shilling, spoke to FOX 2 about Justin's life and honoring his legacy as his loved ones work to move forward.
Shilling was one of four students murdered in the Oxford High School shooting last November.
"He really was my little sweetheart," Soave said. "That was one of the last things I said ... was you'll always be my little sweetheart."
She said her son, who was killed in the bathroom on Nov. 30, had big plans.
"The hardest thing for me where my trauma stems, is driving to the hospital that part of realizing where we were at and what options we had and there weren't many," she said.
Shilling’s mother says he was a scholar student, played every sport – and just visited Oakland University where he wanted to study business, this fall. She remembered him for his personality and kindness.
"He was just lovable his personality was inviting. You'd want more of him, you'd want to be around him," Jill said. "A true gentleman. Even when we went out for ice cream he wouldn't let me pay. When he started working he'd say, 'Mom I got you.'"
Driver in critical condition after road rage shooting
One person was critically injured during a road rage shooting Thursday afternoon in Roseville.
Police said they aren't sure what led to the shooting on Gratiot just north of 13 Mile around 5:30 p.m.
"One gets out of the truck, approaches the other one," said Deputy Chief Mitch Berlin, with Roseville police. "Some kind of altercation whether verbal or physical occurs there. The driver of that vehicle discharges his weapon, strikes the gentleman that is at his window several times. Drives away, and waits for police down the street."
The man who fired shots was arrested, while the victim was taken to a hospital.
Berlin said road rage shootings are on the rise in his city.
"We've had more last few months than we've had in my 30-year-career," he said. "It's unbelievable."
Worker hurt when driver crashes through coffee shop
A driver barreled through a Detroit coffee shop Thursday.
"(She) pulled into the parking lot and went from here, and just went straight in," said witness Elontray Brooks.
Brooks watched the driver crash into The Red Hook, just off of East Jefferson. It isn't clear what caused the woman to hit the business.
"She was conscious when I got to her and when I grabbed her out of the car," Brooks said.
Brooks just started working next door to the coffee shop. He was able to help the driver and a worker at the shop who was injured in the crash.
"I grabbed a pair of scissors, some towels we had in there, and some string we had in there," he said. "And I was ready to go at it. When I cut the pants leg off, there was no bleeding on the outside just blood from where he cut his hand, so it was everywhere. So I just kind of wrapped up his hand and told him to lay here, don’t move, you don’t want to make it any more worse than it is."
Live on FOX 2
What else we're watching
- Police are investigating after a driver told them he was shot by a tailgater on the Southfield Freeway.
- A lawsuit is seeking to get GOP candidate for Michigan governor Ryan Kelley off the ballot. He was arrested for his involvement in the Capitol riot.
- A man has been charged after Detroit police say he ambushed and killed another man at a liquor store. He is expected to be arraigned Friday.
- Two people are in custody in connection with a fatal shooting in Canton last month. One is awaiting extradition back to Michigan.
- Ten Michigan breweries won awards at the U.S. Open Beer Championship, with several breweries bringing home gold medals.
Daily forecast
The rain returns later.
CDC detects traces of weed killer linked to cancer in majority of US urine samples
A recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found samples of a controversial weed-killing chemical in more than 80% of urine samples in U.S. kids and adults.
The report, which was published last month analyzed urine samples of 2,310 people in which they found alarming amounts of glyphosate, a harmful chemical that is the active ingredient in the popular Roundup brand.
"Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the country, yet until now we had very little data on exposure," Alexis Temkin, a toxicologist at the Environmental Working Group, said Monday in a statement. "Children in the U.S. are regularly exposed to this cancer-causing weedkiller through the food they eat virtually every day."