Oakland County sheriff deputy suspended • Roseville woman drives drunk with kids in car • EMU strike vote
TUESDAY NEWS HIT - The Oakland County Sheriff's Office is investigating allegations that a deputy was trying to solicit what he thought was an underage girl for sex. It’s allegedly because of a Pontiac man who works to catch child predators reported the 33-year-old deputy, who works in the corrections division of the department.
The deputy, who has been with the office for five months, is still in a probationary period and he's been suspended without pay. Robert Lee – a self-proclaimed vigilante, posed on The Whisper messaging app, as a 15-year-old girl to lure would-be predators.
"I downloaded The Whisper app myself and I tried to catch somebody and somebody showed up, like that quick," Lee said.
He’s only been doing this a few months and says he’s caught and publicly shamed dozens, in some cases even handing his evidence over to police.
"They keep saying they can get in trouble and they keep going through with it," he said. "And they still get caught."
The latest Lee says he's caught this week is an Oakland County Sheriff’s Deputy assigned to the jail, who’s now suspended without pay due to Lee's communications with him.
Lee shared what he says is a snapshot of their conversations – while he added, the deputy was actually on duty in the Oakland County Jail.
During the back-and-forth, Lee says that he’s a 15-year-old girl several times through the very sexual conversation.
"If they continue to talk after that, then they’re basically a predator," Lee said.
Lee says – the 33-year-old sent a picture of himself, and the two discussed how much the teen’s services are for sex acts - and it got even more graphic.
The meet-up never happened, but Lee blasted the suspected deputy on social media.
"He stopped replying and then he tried to tell me someone else was using his picture and stuff," Lee said.
On Monday morning, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office told FOX 2 they immediately launched an internal investigation into any wrongdoing.
"It’s like I’m surprised but I’m not surprised because predators come in all forms," Lee said. "Police, regular people, rich people, poor people."
At this point they are just allegations, but the investigation is ongoing.
Roseville woman arrested for driving drunk had three kids and a dog in car
State police arrested a Roseville woman after she appeared drunk while speeding with three children and a dog inside the vehicle. The woman was swerving wildly and driving on the shoulder of a road when police stopped her.
The impaired driving arrest happened around 6:20 p.m. on Sunday when Michigan State police were patrolling roads around Royal Oak. The suspect driver was stopped after being observed going 91 mph in a 70 mph zone.
Police also observed her forcing other vehicles out of the way while driving erratically. After the car stopped, police who approached the car said there were several indicators of severe intoxication. The woman was arrested for impaired driving and was determined to be three times over the legal limit.
She's also accused of child endangerment. The kids, ages 3, 12, 15, were turned over to a family member and the driver was taken to the Oakland County jail. A review will be sent to the prosecutor.
EMU professors weigh strike vote Tuesday
Faculty at Eastern Michigan University are weighing a potential strike against the school after the union contract with the college expired last week. Members of the EMU-American Association of University Professors plans to meet Tuesday to vote on the strike after negotiations were met with delays, canceled meetings, and lengthy response times to proposals, the group said.
"Our team can state with absolute certainty that we have done everything in our power to avert a strike. We have worked around the clock to try to reach an agreement," the EMU-AAUP negotiating team said this weekend. "But it is simply impossible to come to an agreement with an Administration that refuses to negotiate in good faith."
The school administration called the breakdown of negotiations "unfortunate" and said a strike would harm students by disrupting classes just a week into the semester. Classes are expected to resume after Labor Day this week. The EMU-AAUP is made up of more than 500 professors and faculty.
The last contract expired August 31st. The University Administration issued a statement Saturday saying: "The union’s call today for a possible strike action hurts our students and impinges significantly upon their experience." It goes on to say such a strike would disrupt education and be illegal under state law.
The vote is at 6 p.m. today. Click here for more info.
Man runs down attempted carjacker in Dearborn Heights
A carjacking attempt in Dearborn Heights led to one suspect getting rundown as the would-be victim fled while a second suspect fired off a hail of bullets early Sunday morning. One suspect is in custody, hospitalized in critical condition while police are searching for the second man, who fired four shots as the intended carjack victim fled for his life.
The crime was caught on camera and posted on social media by the social media account TCD Dearborn. It shows a pick-up truck pulling into a driveway around 5:30 a.m. Sunday. Seconds later a person approached the parked truck. That is when video shows the reverse lights go on, as the driver squealed out of driveway clearly fearing for their life.
"I left 10 minutes early," Lashawnda Miles said. "The next thing I know, the detectives are telling me, had I stayed an extra 10 minutes, my car would have been hit. I probably would have been hit in it, because I’m getting in it at that time."
Police say as the truck was making its escape, a robbery suspect was being dragged away as well. On the outside security video posted to TCD Dearborn, a second suspect was seen firing four shots as the truck pulled out of view. Anyone with information is asked to call police at (313) 277-6770.
Biggby hosts Teacher Appreciation Day
Michigan-based coffee chain Biggby is celebrating the state's educators with a teacher appreciation day on Tuesday.
If you're a teacher, make sure to stop by a local Biggby for a 16 oz drink for free. It will come with a free custom cold cup sleeve, as well as some coupons for the next visit.
Teachers will need to show a valid school ID in order to get their free drink.
With the Labor Day Holiday weekend now in the rearview window, classes will kick into gear for schools following their first day of the year.
The promotion is valid only on Sept. 6.
Live on FOX 2
Daily Forecast
A pretty mild week for temperatures is on the way as school returns to session and fall prepares to follow. Plan on low 80s and clouds Tuesday with the sun poking out later in the week.
What else we're watching
- Oakland County has approved funding for a gun buyback program that will enable police departments to host events where people can exchange firearms for money.
- The Michigan Supreme Court has until Friday to rule on an appeal of a petition that was rejected by the Board of State Canvassers regarding proposals for voting rights and abortion. The decision will make ripples ahead of the 2022 Midterm race.
- Should Detroit enact an ordinance that would require the health department ot grade food establishments? A coalition made up of restaurant and food truck owners argues the department doesn't have the staffing available to regulate the measure.
- Gas prices held steady last week even as supply ticked down ahead of Labor Day weekend. The average cost for a gallon of gas in Michigan is $3.83.
- A drive-by shooting on Prevost injured two men following an altercation at a party earlier in the evening. It's unclear if the men were the target of the shooting.
Canada knife attack: 1 stabbing spree suspect dead, police say
One of the suspects in the stabbing deaths of 10 people in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan has been found dead, and his injuries are not self inflicted, police said Monday as they continued the search for a second suspect.
Regina Police Chief Evan Bray said Damien Sanderson, 31, has been found dead and that they believe his brother, Myles Sanderson, 30, is injured and on the run. While Damien’s body was found near the stabbing sites they believe Myles is in Regina, the capital of Saskatchewan.
"His body was located outdoors in a heavily grassed area in proximity to a house that was being examined. We can confirm he has visible injuries. These injuries are not believed to be self inflicted at this point," said RCMP Commanding Officer Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore.