Detroit firefighter crashed rig while drunk, police shoot one in Garden City barricade, AG to charge gym owner
THURSDAY NEWS HIT - The exploits of a celebratory party have turned into multiple investigations from law enforcement and the Detroit Fire Department after first responders responded to a medical emergency while allegedly intoxicated.
While driving one of the department's rigs, one firefighter struck the parked car of the woman in need of medical attention.
When police responded to the incident, they checked the firefighter's blood alcohol level, which came back as a .108, well above the legal limit.
The drunken night began as a dinner celebrating promotions within the department. At Engine 50 Ladder 23 on Houston Whittier on Detroit's east side, sources said multiple fire companies had attended the party and an email shows a captain who was off-duty at the time was taking beer orders for those who were on duty.
Detroit Fire Department launches investigation after alleged drunk driving crash with rig responding to medical call
A parked car was sideswiped by a firefighter, who is accused of responding to a medical emergency after attending a drunken party Sunday night at Engine 50, Ladder 23 on Detroit's east side.
Firefighters who were on duty for the night eventually got a call for a medical run.
John Hawkins, an area resident, had called 911 for his mother that night who was having an emergency. The firefighter behind the wheel of the rig that responded struck Hawkins' aunt's parked car, damaging it and the DFD truck.
An ambulance eventually took the woman away.
Sources say after police responded, a young firefighter was breathalyzed and found to be legally drunk. Other firefighters were never tested.
"That's bad, they don't need to be drinking and working at the same time - especially with a truck like that," said Hawkins.
The Detroit Fire Commissioner said he was upset and has launched an internal investigation. "I was angry, I was outraged, we don't condone this type of behavior," Eric Jones said.
Also in attendance at the party were a battalion chief, a senior chief, and other supervisors. The firefighter who drove the rig has been suspended.
"We are going to hold him accountable and anyone who witnessed him consuming alcohol, anyone who participated in supplying alcohol, anyone who looked the other way. We are going to follow the rules, wherever the evidence leads us," Jones said.
Officer-involved shooting in Garden City
Neighbors said they heard numerous gunshots from what they believed was a barricaded gunman in Garden City Wednesday evening. A nearby pawn shop employee said as soon as they heard the "pop, pop, pop, pop," police were flying by the storefront.
A standoff ensued on Pardo near Ford and Venoy, with law enforcement calling for individuals to come outside with their hands up. "They had a drone out there going up and down the side of the house, all lit up," said one witness.
A neighbor watching nearby said he saw someone get taken away in an ambulance before a woman holding an infant was taken away. A man was eventually ordered from the house at gunpoint before getting arrested.
The police department has declined to provide any information about the scene, which began around 5 p.m. However, the drug enforcement agency from Detroit said one of its own was involved in a shooting and a suspect was treated on-scene before getting taken to a hospital.
Nessel to charge gym owner for Larry Nassar involvement
The Michigan Attorney General is poised to file criminal charges against a former gym owner for his alleged involvement in the Larry Nassar sex scandal that rocked Michigan State University and the gymnastics world.
Charges against John Geddert, who operated the popular Twistars Gym, will be announced Thursday during a press conference with Dana Nessel.
Geddert coached Olympic champions during his tenure as head coach of the country's gymnastics team. He was also a longtime associate of Nasser, who was convicted of multiple sex crimes for years of misconduct with gymnasts.
Search warrants were executed earlier Wednesday as law enforcement collected evidence from his home and the gymnastics facility. Nessel's press conference is scheduled for 11 a.m.
Altercation leads to gunfire at area Zap Zone
At least four men were involved in a shooting at an area arcade Wednesday night on Grand River in Farmington when suspects began firing at the front door.
Bullets began flying around 8:20 p.m. that appeared to be the result of an altercation between two groups of people, Public Safety Director Ted Warthman said.
At one point, a group left and went to the parking lot. Then as the victim was leaving the building, suspects "showered the front door with gunshots." The victim ran back inside and hasn't been located since.
It's unclear if anyone else was hurt. No one has been arrested either.
Whitmer to loosen restrictions soon
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer alluded to near-future plans to loosen restrictions on some COVID-19 rules in the coming days as pandemic metrics continue to show encouraging results for the state.
She would not elaborate on what those changes could be, but with nursing home visitation policies still strict and restaurants operating at 25% capacity, there's a lot of different directions she could go.
The hospitality industry has come up with its own best practice plan that includes increasing capacity limits as the test positivity rate falls in Michigan. While the governor said she appreciated the guidance, it's unclear if its a system she will utilize.
Also during her Wednesday press conference, Whitmer pressed the Republican-controlled Legislature to pass multibillion-dollar relief funding, some of which has already been approved by Congress but has yet to be appropriated to its intended sources.
What we're watching
- A Dollar General in Brownstown has burned to the ground after a fire erupted around 2:30 a.m. The building is a complete loss but the walls contained the fire from spreading to other shops at the strip mall.
- An adult man was found shot in the 17300 block of Lenore early Thursday morning before he succumbed to his injuries at a hospital. Detroit police say the circumstances of the incident are unknown at this time.
- Macomb County Prosecutor Pete Lucido says he plans to testify at a House Oversight Committee meeting about nursing homes in Michigan. His remarks will criticize the governor's policy for putting positive patients in nursing homes.
- Darren McCarty, a Detroit Red Wings great will be operating as a guest budtender at a Walled Lake dispensary Thursday where he plans to promote his cannabis line.
- The I-75 improvement project is resuming Friday where a bridge closure will likely stall traffic near I-696 this weekend.
Live on FOX 2
Daily Forecast
If you look at the next 7-day forecast on FOX 2's website, there's no high temperature below 40 degrees - except for the 39-degree day expected for Thursday. We're even going to see a 51-degree day on Sunday.
No criminal charges to be filed in Tiger Woods rollover crash, sheriff says
As the investigation continues into the crash that left pro-golfer Tiger Woods seriously injured, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva says no criminal charges are being contemplated against Tiger Woods.
During a press briefing Wednesday afternoon, Villanueva said there are no indications that he was impaired in any way.
At most, the investigation could lead to an infraction if it's determined Woods was on his cell phone or distracted in some other way, the sheriff stated. Investigators have not yet pulled a "black box'' from the damaged SUV to determine how fast Woods was traveling when the crash occurred.
"This remains an accident. An accident is not a crime. They do happen unfortunately,'' the sheriff mentioned.