When Michigan gas prices could go down • Prosecutor responds to Crumbley motions • Capuchin monkey drama

Could gas prices finally start to fall back down?

Gas prices remain historically high - but at least one expert to tracks trends of petroleum predicts some relief may be on the way.

FRIDAY NEWS HIT - At a gas station in Allen Park, drivers could get gas for $4.99 a gallon.

What a bargain.

The average gas prices in Metro Detroit Friday are around $5.29 a gallon. That's actually a bit lower than Thursday when they eclipsed $5.30. Could this be the beginning of a reversal of the highest costs for gas that Michigan and much of the country have ever seen?

Actually, maybe.

Patrick De Haan, who works for Gas Buddy and tracks fuel prices across the country is asking people to not rush to fill up their gas tanks. "Prices in most areas of the US will be coming down in the days and weeks ahead," he tweeted Thursday morning.

"We could drop back to a national average of $4.75-$4.85 a gallon by July 4 if nothing changes."

Of course, a lot could change by then. Things changed enough over the past few months to have driven up prices as high as they've gotten. And De Haan warns that his prediction may be wrong should things change.

Michigan's credit card gas fee: why it costs more to pay with your card

A 25 cent reduction in gas prices wouldn't offer that much relief relative to the skyhigh prices that drivers have continued to pay.

De Haan said in replies to other comments on his tweets that "refineries finishing maintenance should raise production and hopefully help raise inventories."

However, summer travel typically puts upward pressure on the cost of gas, so the movement that De Haan is describing would have to contend with the normal market forces that usually send prices higher anyway.

Detroit pays nearly $4M for police and fire crashes over past 5 years

FOX 2 has covered many of the stories of accidents involving police and firefighters. We are now learning more on how much it has cost the city -- and taxpayers -- over the last few years. There’s been scores of accidents involving police and fire vehicles in recent years and in many cases it ends up costing taxpayers.

Records requests for settlements revealed the city hs paid out $3.78 million over the past five years when fire trucks and police cruisers have hit civilian cars, pedestrians, and gas stations. The lion's share of the settlements came from Detroit police, which paid out $2.8 million, ranging from $200 to some in the six figures.

In interviews with multiple parties involved in the settlements, they describe the injuries and damages they were left with after crashes. Some victims were left with debilitating injuries. Others had damage left at their place of businesses.

"This isn’t every officer, this isn’t every member of the fire department. Are we putting them in a place to succeed?" asked Attorney Jason Berger, who represents Karen Hopgood. "Because that’s what we should be doing: Putting them in a place to succeed via training, via equipment instead of having to suffer with people like Ms. Hopwood who now has lifelong injuries because of the negligence."

Read the full report here.

Oakland County Prosecutor responds to Crumbley attorney's motions

The parents of accused Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley want the case to be moved, and certain evidence to be excluded from trial. However, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said the court should deny these motions. She also lambasted the parents for selfishness.

According to one of the filings from her office, "the defendants have important rights, but so do victims and the public. Victims have a right to a zealous advocate on their behalf. The public has a right to know what happened and to try to prevent future shootings. Above all else, the public and victims have a right to the truth."

The battle over what evidence should and should not be allowed during a trial has been brewing for weeks as the Crumbley parents' defense team has pushed to keep the couple's lifestyle habits out of the case. References made in Ethan Crumbley's journal have also been a point of contention.

These motions will be up to the judge to grant or deny. This is scheduled to be heard inf front of Judge Cheryl Matthews on June 27.

Read more here.

Capuchin monkey races spark animal abuse questions at Livingston County Fun Fest

Capuchin monkeys in costumes riding on dogs may seem cute, but not to some. The Humane Society of the United States is sounding the alarm about what they’re calling animal abuse.

"It's so outdated, it is so cruel and we are better than this," said Molly Tamulevich, Humane Society director. "We are in the middle of a heat advisory and you’re putting a full costume on a wild animal, and forcing them into a vigorous activity."

It’s called the "Banana Derby" which is going on all week, multiple shows a day, at a fair in Hamburg Township in Livingston County. A video clip was taken Wednesday by protesting animal welfare groups. The voice you hear is Phil Hendricks who created Banana Derby 15 years ago.

FOX 2 spoke with Hendricks, who side-stepped questions about animal welfare and his history of violations. Instead, he promoted the shows and said the animals were kept in an air-condtiions trailer. He added that animals being taken care of and having rights are two different things.

Watch the segment here.

Video: Teens steal cell phones from Best Buy, lead cops on chase

Wild cell phone video of a police chase through the streets of Oakland County was taken Thursday, June 9. That is when police say two teenage boys — just 14 and 16 — had just stolen cell phones from the Best Buy on John R in Madison Heights when an employee confronted them. One of the teens then pulled out a gun.

According to investigators, the suspects jumped in their vehicle and took off, leading police on that chase before finally crashing in the area of I-75 and Nine Mile. After the crash, one of the suspects ran off - but police caught up to him. Both teens were taken into custody.

"Fourteen and 16 years old is too young," said Andrea, a shopper. "They're throwing their lives away." "What’s going on at home you know, geez, you should be home, being a kid," said Ashley Simmons, a shopper.

"You went out there - put your life on the line - other lives on the line," said Andrea. "Then you have a high-speed chase, you could have killed yourself others and more people, all because of what?" "Look at society as a whole right now all the mass shootings all the things that are happening," said Anthony Rice. "It’s very terrifying, it’s very terrifying."

Watch the clip here.

What else we're watching

FOX 2 is following multiple police investigations in and around Detroit this morning, including a hazmat response at an apartment on Chicago and Nardin Park where residents were being evacuated. Reports indicate a gas leak prompted the response.
Juneteenth is this weekend. Here is a list of events that people can look out for.
Detroit police are honoring one of their own who died from cancer in 2019 with the annual memorial Pit Master Barbeque Challenge today. It's the first return of the bbq challenge since the pandemic.
Road crews have closed the Cass Avenue bridge over I-94 in Detroit for needed repairs. They're expected to be completed in late July.
Should Ukraine join the European Union? The European Commission governing the regional body thinks so. But it's only the first step in a long process to membership.

Live on FOX 2

Daily Forecast

We've made it through a wild weather week (mostly) intact and now we'll be rewarded with a beautiful weekend in the mid-70s with lots of sun. Friday will be a bit warmer, but expect pleasant conditions all the same. Residents should beware, the heat is expected to return in a big way next week.

A dry and sunny weekend ahead

A break from the heat for several days, but it gets hot next week

IFA 2026 World Cup: Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Miami among host cities selected

FIFA has announced the host cities for the 2026 World Cup Thursday with three Mexican cities and two from Canada selected for the tournament.

The U.S. cities selected did not include the nine stadiums used at the 1994 World Cup. The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, and Orlando’s Camping World Stadium were the only ones remaining in contention, and they were among the sites dropped in the final round.

Here is the full list of the cities selected.