Rape suspect beaten by victim's family • Filling Stabenow's seat • Detroit's falling unemployment rate

FRIDAY NEWS HIT - Neighbors and onlookers recorded the bloody aftermath of a man is severely beaten after allegedly sexually assaulting a teenager.

"Absolutely tragic. It really is," said Capt. Rebecca Hall, Detroit police. "It is in affecting a young life, a family, and it’s going to definitely take time to heal."

McKay says officers took the suspect into custody Tuesday night. Although police would not confirm it, neighbors who witnessed the beating and those in the video, say that the suspect knows the victim.

"It’s sad, and it just hurt me so bad," Carmen Witherspoon said. "And it broke me down that a man would do that."

Witherspoon saw the man beaten up after the alleged sexual assault. She heard the commotion outside of her home in northwest Detroit Tuesday night and opened her front door to see the child rape suspect practically naked, surrounded by the victim’s furious relatives.

"They beat him over there real good," she said. "He was on the ground. He managed to get up and he ran across the street, and he was on my property. He fell, he slipped, and fell. And that’s when they beat him some more."

"He was bloody, nothing but blood, there was a puddle on the ground," said one witness.

"From what I heard, they stomped his top lip off," said Marc D' Andre, 7 Mile Radio News. "His mouth appeared to be very bloody and it was just like he was in an MMA fight."

D’Andre, the founder of 7 Mile Radio, provided FOX 2 with video. The victim’s relatives reportedly confronted the suspect after he allegedly raped the teen. They chased him around the neighborhood and dispensed their own justice once they caught up with him.

"I’m not mad at the way that it happened," he said. "Whether it be swift street justice or through the court systems or jail systems, I think we need to raise awareness about this type of situation because too often it gets swept under the rug, and we have a lot of victims - both girls and boys."

"Sexual assault is a real thing," McKay said. "It occurs at all ages. I would just ask the parents, teachers, advisers, administrators, friends, and family just always keep your eyes open. Listen if you see something - say something. Obviously, report any suspected abuse to the Detroit Police Department.

DPD is preparing a warrant package to send over to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office for a charging decision

The suspect is no stranger to DPD - there was a warrant out for his arrest for a non-fatal shooting over on the city’s east side. 

Pedestrian killed in 'trespasser incident' involving Amtrak train near Ann Arbor

An Amtrak traveling from Chicago to Pontiac had its journey delayed Thursday after someone who was trespassing on its tracks died after being struck by the train. The fatal collision between Amtrak train 352 and the pedestrian happened at approximately 8 p.m.

According to a statement from an Amtrak spokesman, the incident happened near Ypsilanti. The train was carrying 76 passengers as well as crew when the crash occurred, though none were injured. The train company is now working with local law enforcement to investigate the incident. 

"According to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), trespassing along railroad rights-of-way is the leading cause of rail-related deaths in America, and railroad crossing incidents are the second leading cause of rail-related deaths in America," the spokesman said. "These incidents can affect everyone involved—those who are injured or die and their families, our train crews, and our passengers."

According to the company's Twitter page, it became aware of a "trespasser incident" around 8.10 p.m. Due to the delays, alternative transportation was provided to the riders and the route was terminated. 

With Debbie Stabenow out, who could be Michigan's next senator?

There was no shortage of names from Michigan's political class that were floated after its longtime senator Debbie Stabenow announced she would not be running for another six-year term. The seat opens up a vacuum ahead of a consequential 2024 presidential election year - which will now feature Democrats defending a seat in Michigan.

Some names, like Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer quickly stifled expectations when they released statements saying they would not run. However, it gets a bit more gray from there, with names like Elissa Slotkin, Haley Stevens, Lt. Gov Garlin Gilchrist, and Jocelyn Benson gaining traction. Each has won or been on winning campaigns in the past two years.

Republicans John James, Peter Meijer, and Candice Miller have all been floated as potential conservative candidates. 

If it just felt like election season ended, well, an open senate seat in a state that some still consider a swingy guarantees the campaigning won't really stop. As recent months have shown, control over Congress has been razor-thin for the past several elections and an open seat can have big implications under such tight margins.

Hopeful marijuana business owners camping outside Riverview City Hall

Several prospective business owners have been camping outside the Riverview government building in hopes of securing one of the city's first licenses to run a marijuana store in the community. At least five tents had been propped up outside the building, with some people getting days in advance.

The tiny tent city is reminiscent of excited concert goers and movie theater fans ready for a big premier. But make no mistake, there's money to be made in the legal weed market and the campers outside city hall don't want to miss their shot. 

Riverview recently amended its city code following a 4-3 vote approving the removal of a prohibition on marijuana businesses. In its place is a new ordinance that allows for the sale of recreational pot. The close vote was representative of the community as a whole, which offered mixed opinions on allowing legal cannabis being sold in their city.

Despite being a young industry in Michigan whose residents only legalized the recreational sale of marijuana in 2018, the state has become a booming market for weed. Those waiting in line for the Riverview licenses will get their first opportunity at submitting an application for a license when city hall opens Friday.

Detroit unemployment rate hits lowest mark in 22 years

A new year brought good news for the City of Detroit's unemployment numbers. "When I got elected, the unemployment rate was at 18% during May of 2020," said Mayor Mike Duggan. "At the peak of Covid it was 38%."

The city’s unemployment numbers are down and Detroiters are at work. "When the federal government released the statistics showing Detroit’s unemployment rate was under 7 percent for the first time in 22 years, we are starting to see Detroit’s recovery reach everybody," Duggan said.

There are a number of reasons why Detroit has achieved this milestone, city officials said. One big key is that companies are bringing jobs to Detroit, including at plants like LM Automotive, Lear, Ford, and Amazon. 

But the mayor says there is another key reason why unemployment is down. "Most of the credit comes to the residents of the city themselves," Duggan said. Residents who are benefiting from the city’s workforce programs like Detroit At Work, which helps create career opportunities for Detroiters and provide employers with access to highly trained talent.

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Daily Forecast

The sun will find some time to greet Metro Detroit this weekend during what's historically a very cloudy season in Michigan. But temperatures will also settle in a bit cooler Saturday and Sunday. Here's what to expect:

What else we're watching

1. Shocking court documents from the police investigation into the Idaho knife attacks revealed that police began suspecting Bryan Kohlberger two weeks after the murders. Unsealed filings show Kohlberger's DNA was known to investigators after it was found on a knife sheath.
2. The first of four themed weekends is set to kick off at the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy this weekend with a Fire & Ice Festival planned at Robert C. Valade Park. The fun includes "oversized outdoor fireplaces, marshmallow roasting, live performances and an ice carving competition."
3. DTE is planning a power outage for approximately one hour in Dearborn. The second of two outages is set to commence at midnight Friday.
4. Jim Harbaugh is still making news in sports media after it was reported the football coach and the University of Michigan is facing NCAA rule violations over recruiting. Yahoo! Sports reported it first. Among the allegations is that Harbaugh misled investigators - a Level I violation.
5. When the Detroit Lions play this weekend, it'll come with some massive stakes. Of course, one pivotal game not in the team's control is that of Seattle and Los Angeles, the same team that traded with Detroit only a couple years ago. But the main contest to watch out for is when the Lions play the Packers Sunday night.

Kevin McCarthy offers deal to end GOP standoff in House speaker fight

The contours of a deal that could make Republican leader Kevin McCarthy the House speaker have begun to emerge after three grueling days and 11 failed votes in a political spectacle unseen in a century. It has left Republicans in disarray and exposed anew the fragility of American democracy.

The House will be back at it Friday, with Republicans trying to elect their new House speaker — this time, against the backdrop of the second anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. The deadly attack was an unimaginable scene of chaos that shook the country when a mob of then-President Donald Trump's supporters tried to stop Congress from certifying the Republican's 2020 election defeat.

McCarthy made no promises of a final vote that would secure him the speaker's gavel, but glimmers of a deal with at least some of the far-right holdouts who have denied him support were emerging.

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