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Detroit pastor detained in alleged 'church jacking'
A Detroit pastor was handcuffed outside his church. He said he believes a previous entity associated with the church took over the building, bank account, and business entities in what he's calling a "church jacking."
TUESDAY NEWS HIT - Pastor Lorenzo Sewell has been the head of the congregation for five years at 180 Church in Detroit. But he recently found himself in handcuffs outside the building in what he says was a "church jacking".
Sewell walked us through one of the most difficult days of his life – which was captured on surveillance video. The pastor believes someone drilled into the lock of an entrance of the church and got inside so he rushed to the church – but was stopped by a police officer.
"He's trying to stop me from going into the building. He’s asking me who I am. I tell him my name is on the building." Sewell said. "He’s walking me off in handcuffs."
Sewell said he felt violated.
"Not for me, but for people that look like me that don’t have Todd Perkins as their attorney. Pastors that don’t have relationships," he said.
It was June 7 when a man drilled into the lock of an entrance of the church and he rushed over. Sewell said he believes a group previously associated with the church took over its building, bank account, and business entities in what he's calling a "church jacking."
"It’s just the power of privilege. I believe that when you are white and you have power, you feel like ‘I own this’. Instead of saying 'Wow he’s been the pastor for five years'," Sewell said.
With his attorney's help, he got his church back and filed a police report and complaint with his bank. He says the bigger issue is how police treated him in his community.
"(It's) painful because we’re an advocate for the cops. We do Faith in Blue. We do jazz concerts. We just played basketball with them the day before in the community," he said. "The first thing is we need to deal with the culture of policing in the Blackest city in America. That’s number one. Number two: we need to be willing to say listen we need to build bridges of trust with our community instead of suspecting the worst out of our community. And number three, we need to continue to serve. Let the past be the past and serve our community."
FOX 2 reached out to Detroit Police for comment on this story but we did not hear back in time of airing.
Grosse Pointe Woods residents livid after string of overdoses
A string of deadly overdoses in Grosse Pointe Woods has sent criticism toward the local police department who is being grilled for not being more upfront about what led to three people dying after ingesting tainted cocaine.
Two of the victims were sisters and the cocaine was laced with fentanyl or Xylazine, according to sources. Two other people who knew the first group also died from overdoses in a neighboring town recently. Mayor Arthur Bryant has called for patience following calls for more police transparency.
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After fentanyl-laced cocaine overdose deaths in Grosse Pointe Woods, community wants answers
FOX 2 brought that question to Mayor Arthur Bryant in a 1-on-1 interview. His response calling for patience might surprise you.
"Well I don’t agree with that because I’m one of those people that says, hey sit back, let the police do their work, and they'll tell you," he said. "I mean there’s no reason why you or I need to know right now. They are working on it and we just have to wait and see when they’re ready to release the information."
Details of the deaths first trickled in two weekend ago following a 911 call about an overdose. That same caller then phoned in two more possible overdoses. Police believe a bad batch of drugs was in the community when it happened.
2.5-mile run in Detroit wrapped in Juneteenth symbolism
On this year's Juneteenth holiday, a special run was held in Detroit commemorating the holiday. "We Run 313 is a social running club that connects like-minded individuals through running to build a healthier and happier community," said Lance Woods, the group's co-founder. "The route is in the Northwest Goldberg community 48208, which is called 'Zone 8.'"
We Run 313 partnered with Henry Ford Health for this inaugural Juneteenth run. It is a 2.5-mile run with a few stops along the way. The distance is symbolic of the amount of time news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached the enslaved people in Texas, after it was signed.
"It’s about recognizing progress in the community, it is about amplifying the need for more progress and lifting the voices of the community, so they can be heard," said Barry Blackwell of Henry Ford Health.
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We Run 313 event just one of many Juneteenth events in Detroit marking holiday
The holiday is only a few years old, but centuries in the making.
"For me movement I think, brings you energy. It also just helps you feel better in general even if you (are) stressed, I go for a walk. It improves my mood, and clears my mind," said Kimika Garrett.
See photos from We Run 313's course here.
Operation Clean Sweep kicks off at DTW
Officials are practicing airfield safety at Detroit Metro Airport with the Wayne County Airport Authority initiated a volunteer-led walk to clean up debris from the tarmac.
Operation Clean Sweep 2023 will include airport staff and volunteers walking the airfield, picking up trash, rocks, loose metal objects, or anything else that might be a hazard to airplanes.
There will also be routine checks done by the airfield operations team. The clean-up begins at 8 a.m.
This will be the first volunteer FOD walk since 2019 after the pandemic disrupted the annual tradition.
Renamed Muhammad Ali Park opening at old Belton-Mark Twain spot
Detroit's newest community park is set to open this week with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday and a special invitation dinner on Tuesday. The Muhammad Ali Park replaces the old Belton-Mark Twain Park, which had fallen into disrepair on vacant city lots.
Aided by the city of Detroit, the Embassy of Qatar, Wayne County, and other donors, the new park is set to open with a state-of-the-art status that all families and residents of the city can enjoy.
Some of the new attractions include a children's playground, basketball court, a running track, soccer field, and picnic area. The official ribbon-cutting will be at noon on Wednesday. The park is located at 8279 Mark Twain Street.
The Islamic Center of Detroit said it had discovered a need for more green space and public recreation in District 7, which is home to over 100,000 people, including several new refugees. Tuesday's dinner will host both Mayor Mike Duggan and an ambassador.
Live on FOX 2
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Daily Forecast
Summer weather sticks around with conditions expected to hit the mid-80s Tuesday. Sun will be unblocked for the majority of the afternoon and few clouds are expected at night as well.
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Warm temps continue
Rich Luterman has the forecast.
What else we're watching
- Enbridge was ordered to close a portion of it's Line 5 pipeline in Wisconsin because of a court case involving indigenous tribes that live in the area. It could have big implications for the company, which is still locked in disagreement over plans for a tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac
- A Warren police officer is expected to be arraigned Tuesday after assaulting a prisoner during a booking process. Warren officials are expected to hold a press conference later Tuesday where they will reveal the alleged incident.
- U.S. Energy Sec. Jennifer Granholm spoke during a Townsend Hotel presentation in Michigan Monday. She discussed charging stations and electric vehicle battery manufacturing, saying Michigan was primed to be a key player in both industries.
- The Oakland County Sheriff's office is investigating a shooting that happened in Pontiac that left several people injured. At least one person has died.
- The attorney general is joining the Genesee County Sheriff and prosecutor to launch job court, a new program in association with Michigan Works. More details are expected at 11 a.m.
See the bolt of lightning on Jupiter that caused an eerie green glow
The JunoCam caught the eerie, green glow of lightning above Jupiter, our solar system's largest planet. The view was captured in December 2020, but a citizen scientist processed the image to coax out the glow recently.
The JunoCam is the "citizen science" camera aboard the Juno spacecraft, according to NASA.
"As the spacecraft orbits Jupiter, JunoCam snaps pictures of the planet from different angles and radial distances, targeting features identified in part through the collaborative efforts of the amateur astronomer community," NASA's Juno website states. "JunoCam’s imagery is sent back to Earth and posted to the Mission Juno website, where the general public may download them for subsequent image processing."