Man dies from injuries after hit-and-run • Oakland Co. launches monkeypox taskforce • River Rouge police sued
THURSDAY NEWS HIT - A suspect hit a man with an SUV at a Detroit CVS because he was standing up for a woman who was being harassed early July 12.
Police said 30-year-old Lamar Waller and the suspect had an argument in the parking lot of a club where Waller does security. His family said he was protecting a woman the suspect was harassing.
"To say, ‘Hey, let you and I handle it.’ More of something whether they had to talk it out, fight it out, whatever it is, it will be man to man versus the young lady that was the target of the guy that was involved in this," said Saba Gebrai, the family's godmother.
After that, the suspect then followed Waller to a CVS on 8 Mile near the Southfield Freeway. When Waller got out of his car around 1:20 a.m. the suspect acted like he was leaving then pulled behind him, hit and ran over Waller, then fled.
"They hit him with full speed and left him there to die," said Cassandra McLawrence, Waller's sister. "This guy is dangerous. He was dangerous to my brother, and he’d be dangerous to other people and what he did is very sick, and he needs to be, something needs to be done about what he did.
Waller was taken to Sinai-Grace Hospital, where he was brain-dead. His wife took him off of life support Monday.
"She lost her husband and the father of her children. She had to go home and tell her children that their father will never be back again," said Gebrai.
Lamar Waller, 30, pictured above was working security when the man in the Dodge SUV ran him over.
"She’s going to kindergarten this year or preschool this year, he won’t be able to walk her into pre-school this year. His son, he won’t be able to help him through life to become a man. He won’t never be able to walk his daughter down the aisle," she added.
Police say the hit-and-run driver was in a newer model black Dodge Durango with black rims. He’s described as a man in mid 20s to 30s with a short haircut and medium build. There was also a woman with him in the SUV.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.
Oakland County launching monkeypox task force
Oakland County is launching its own monkeypox task force as an outbreak of the virus in the county continues to spread. So far, there have been 19 cases confirmed in Michigan, including eight in Oakland County.
The U.S. has reported more than a thousand cases of monkeypox since transmission became apparent in the country.
In hopes of boosting education and coordination of care within the country, Executive Dave Coulter plans to announce the local health department's new push to better expedite treatment Thursday. Health Officer Calandra Green will lead the task force, which will include contact tracing and vaccine distribution.
Monkeypox, which is a mutation of smallpox, spreads through direct contact with an infectious rash, as well as through bodily fluids. Symptoms include fatigue and body aches.
Get more information about monkeypox here.
174 SW Detroit homes getting home upgrades due to Gordie Howe bridge work
Southwest Detroit residents north of I-75 between Clark and Springwells will be dealing with more traffic once the Gordie Howe International Bridge opens. Gerald Romero said he has already been hearing increased noise from work.
"With all the work that was going on, just the traffic alone, my bed is upstairs, and it would shake," he said. To combat this, Mayor Mike Duggan said the city negotiated with the Canadian government for a $45 million community benefits project, and 6.5 million has been used to retrofit 174 homes over the past three years. They have gotten new windows, insulation, and HVAC systems.
"This is a good neighborhood, and we did not want people moving out because of the new bridge," Duggan said. "We said, ‘We’re going to modify these houses so that you can stay and be happy.' We put central air in, we put extra insulation in, we put new windows."
Harley Brown, with DMC Consultants, said the new windows have noise reduction. "They have the noise reduction, and so they're getting more sleep and children are staying more focused, able to study," Brown said. It's something Romero, a single father, appreciates.
Two Detroit girls, ages 11 and 12, missing since Monday
The disappearance of two Detroit children is unnerving their families after both went missing the same day. Detroit police don't believe the missing cases are connected, however both girls were last spotted near their homes - which are less than a mile from each other.
"I feel like it'd be better to come home than living in the streets," said Alexis Atkins, sister of Alaya Thomas. "Everyone worried, looking for her. We got a lot of people worried about you and looking for you."
Thomas, 12, and Carolyn Finley, 11, were both last seen Monday near their homes, which are located near Seven Mile Road on the city's east side. Thomas was last seen leaving her home in the 19500 block of Alcoy Monday night around 9:30 p.m. Finley was last seen around 1 a.m. in the 19100 block of Rowe Monday.
Alaya Thomas (left), 12, and Carolyn Finley, 11.
Neither of the girls' families have seen or talked to their children in days. Thomas is approximately five feet tall and Finley is five-feet-six inches.
River Rouge police sued for excessive force
A lawsuit was filed Wednesday against River Rouge police officers accused of using excessive force against a teen girl during a traffic stop last year. Maliyah Clary was driving her mother's SUV with a permit but no adult in the vehicle in February 2021. She was 17.
Officers yanked her out of the SUV during a traffic stop, while one of them pointed a gun at her 14- and 15-year-old cousins. "My daughter is still traumatized by this event. The behavior of the officers was completely unacceptable," said Maria Woods. Attorneys for the family have demanded a meeting with the United States Attorney's Office.
"The city of River Rouge has a problem. They've got a problem with officers acting this way on not just this occasion. This is an isolated incident out of a number of incidents arising out of River Rouge," attorney Michael Fortner said.
At the time FOX 2 broke the story, the deputy police chief said they were taking the matter seriously, and the matter was under review The officers at that time had not been formally disciplined. We reached out to River Rouge Police multiple times Wednesday, but did not hear back.
Here's what activists had to say about the incident.
Live on FOX 2
What else we're watching
- The Ann Arbor Art Fair begins Thursday. The massive event will see around 400,000 people from around the country attend the fair. Stalls can be found on Main Street, Liberty, State, and South University Streets. The fair will go through Saturday.
- A gofundme for the family of a 12-year-old that died after being accidentally shot by his cousin in Detroit has been posted online. A vigil was held Wednesday night to honor Keyon Davis, another victim of gun violence.
- Jill Biden will be at Detroit Public Schools Thursday to highlight how federal funding is helping shore up learning loss and mental health issues among kids impacted by the pandemic.
- Who will former President Donald Trump endorse in the upcoming Michigan governor's race? One candidate, Garrett Soldano is asking him to stay out of the race until after the Primary, which is scheduled for Aug. 2. Despite voting day almost here, the race for the nomination remains up in the air.
- A combination of poverty and crime have contributed to Detroit being one of the most stressed-out cities in the country. An analysis by WalletHub found the city ranked first in health and safety stress and second in financial stress.
Daily Forecast
The heat will continue hovering in the high 80s and low 90s Thursday as hot temperatures are expected to persist through the weekend. Some relief from the humidity is expected in the form of 10-20 mph wind from the west - but that's about it.
Indianapolis doctor who performed abortion prepares defamation suit against state's attorney general
An Indianapolis doctor who performed an abortion on a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio took the first step Tuesday toward suing Indiana's attorney general for defamation.
Dr. Caitlin Bernard, an Indianapolis obstetrician-gynecologist who gave the girl a medication-induced abortion on June 30, filed a tort claim notice over what she says are false statements that Attorney General Todd Rokita has made about her and her work.
Bernard received widespread attention after she gave an interview to the Indianapolis Star about the child, who traveled to Indiana from Ohio for the abortion. A so-called fetal heartbeat law took effect in Ohio last month after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Such laws ban abortions from the time a fetus' cardiac activity can be detected, which is typically around the sixth week of pregnancy.
A 27-year-old man was charged last week in Columbus, Ohio, with raping the girl, confirming the existence of a case that was initially met with skepticism by some news outlets and Republican politicians.