LIVE FROM DOWNTOWN DETROIT LOCAL 4 NEWS AT SIX STARTS NOW. IT’S A SHOCKING DISCOVERY FROM
LIVINGSTON COUNTY TONIGHT,
PRIVATE ATHLETIC COACH WHO
TEACHES CHILDREN NOW CHARGED
WITH IMPROPER CONDUCT WITH A
STUDENT. THAT’S WHERE WE’LL
START AT SIX, A VIOLATION OF THE
TRUST ALL PARENTS PUT INTO THE
COACHES WHO TRAIN CHILDREN, THE
OWNER OF A WHITMORE LAKE
GYMNASTICS SCHOOL ARRESTED AND
CHARGED ON A CLAIM THAT HE
ABUSED ONE OF HIS STUDENTS.
LOCAL FOREST ROD MELONI IS LIVE
TONIGHT AT THE SCHOOL, LOCATED
IN A STRIP MALL JUST OFF STATE
ROAD. 36 SO ROD NORMALLY THIS
WOULD BE A BUSY TIME OF DAY
THERE, BUT NOT THE CASE TONIGHT.
RIGHT IT’S THE TUMBLE STUDIO
HERE IN WHITMORE LAKE, AND FOR
QUITE SOME TIME, YOUNG GIRLS
HAVE BEEN COMING HERE LEARNING
HOW TO IMPROVE THEIR GYMNASTIC
SKILLS. BUT THERE IS A QUESTION
ABOUT WHETHER THE COMPANY CAN
WITHSTAND THIS NOW. THERE WAS AN
EVICTION NOTICE IN THE WINDOW
THIS MORNING. IT HAS SINCE BEEN
REMOVED, BUT WE’VE HEARD FROM A
LOT OF PARENTS WHO ARE DEEPLY
CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT HAS
HAPPENED HERE IN THE CHARGE THAT
HAS BEEN MADE. THE DOORS ARE
LOCKED, AND THERE IS NO ACTIVITY
HERE AT THE I TUMBLE GYMNASTICS
CENTER. IT’S OWNED BY THIS MAN
42 YEAR OLD GERMAN MARTINEZ.
HE’S UNDER ARREST TONIGHT
CHARGED WITH ONE COUNT OF CHILD
ACCOSTING FOR IMMORAL PURPOSES,
WHICH IS A FOUR YEAR FELONY CAN
BRING UP TO A $4000 FINE.
MARTINEZ TURNED HIMSELF INTO THE
GREEN OAK TOWNSHIP POLICE
DEPARTMENT EARLIER THIS WEEK
AFTER THEY POSTED A WARRANT FOR
HIS ARREST. HE RECEIVED $30,000
BOND AND WAS ABLE TO PAY 10% OF
THAT $3000 TO GET OUT OF THE
LIVINGSTON COUNTY JAIL
YESTERDAY. WE’VE BEEN TOLD BY A
SOURCE CLOSE TO THIS
INVESTIGATION. THE CASE INVOLVES
ARE NOW 17 YEAR OLD GIRL WHO
WORKED AT THE GYM. APPARENTLY
OVER TWO YEARS, HE ALLEGEDLY
BROUGHT THE GIRL TO A TRAILER HE
OWNED IN WASHINGTON COUNTY,
WHERE THIS ALLEGED ABUSE
OCCURRED. MARTINEZ DOES HAVE A
RAP SHEET. THIS IS HIS MUG SHOT
FOR PRIOR DRUNK DRIVING AND
SUSPENDED LICENSE CONVICTIONS
WHERE HE SERVED PRISON TIME.
PARENTS WITH CONNECTIONS TO THE
GYM, EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT HIS
CRIMINAL PAST AND ABILITY TO RUN
A GYM FOR KIDS, BUT IT’S
IMPORTANT TO NOTE NONE OF HIS
PRIOR CONVICTIONS INVOLVED
CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN. NOW WE
DID SPEAK TO MARTINEZ, ATTORNEY
THIS AFTERNOON. HE TELLS US THE
MOTHER OF THE ALLEGED VICTIM IN
THIS CASE ACTUALLY HAD A
RELATIONSHIP WITH MARTINEZ WHILE
MARRIED TO ANOTHER MAN. HE
BELIEVES THAT THE CLAIMS ARE
RETALIATION FOR THAT BAD BREAKUP
THAT APPARENTLY HAPPENED JUST
EARLIER THIS WEEK, AND HE SAYS
THAT MARTINEZ IS INNOCENT OF ALL
OF THESE CHARGES. CERTAINLY
WE’RE GOING TO WANT TO FOLLOW
UP. REPORTING LIVE FROM
WHITMORE. LAKE ROD MELONI. OKAY,
THANKS. STORM TRACKER FOUR HAS
SOME SLOW MOVING SHOWERS AND
SOME OTHER STORMS MAKING THEIR
WAY ACROSS OUR VIEWING AREA.
RIGHT THERE ON THE SCREEN COLOR
IS BACK WITH A LOOK AT THE
SPOTTY, WET WEATHER AND WHAT TO
EXPECT AS WE HEAD INTO THE
EVENING, BRETT IN THE NEXT
COUPLE OF HOURS, WE’LL BE SEEING
SOME OF THESE DATA AREA WANTED
TO START WITH THIS. THIS IS THE
CAMERA ON TOP OF THE ROOF HERE
AT LOCAL 4, AND YOU CAN SEE
WE’RE LOOKING BASICALLY EAST AT
THIS POINT FROM THIS VANTAGE
POINT, VERY DARK CLOUDS OFF IN
THE DISTANCE. THIS IS THAT
SHOWER THAT JUST HIT US. WE JUST
MYSTERY. RAIN, BUT I SAW IT. IT
WAS PRETTY BUT YOU CAN ALSO SEE
SOME OF THESE BUILDINGS, SEEING
A LOT OF SUN. SO THE NEXT COUPLE
OF HOURS SOME WILL SEE SOME
HEAVY RAIN, BUT A LOT OF US WILL
SEE SOME SUN BREAKING OUT. STILL
SEEING SOME OF THOSE HEAVY
DOWNPOURS EXITING THE CITY OF
DETROIT, BUT ALSO RIVERVIEW.
THIS IS MOVING OFF TO THE EAST
AND THE NORTHEAST, SO LIKELY
SCOOTING OUT OF HERE THE NEXT
LITTLE WHILE, BUT A FEW MORE OF
THESE WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE
EVENING. UNTIL RAIN TAPERS DOWN
LATER ON TONIGHT. FOLLOWING THIS
, WE GET SOME MORE DRY TIME AS
WE HEAD TOWARDS THE WEEKEND.
WE’LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN JUST A
BIT. DON’T FORGET THE LOCAL
FORECASTERS AT HAS THAT WEEKEND
FORECAST AND BEYOND, EVEN UP TO
THE 10 DAY FORECAST, DOWNLOAD IT
BY SEARCHING WDIV’S WEATHER IN
YOUR APP STORE. A NEW 70 PAGE
REPORT IS OUT DETAILING SERIOUS
ALLEGATIONS INSIDE THE
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN’S STORIED
MEN’S HOCKEY PROGRAM. FORMER
PLAYER AND COACH DESCRIBED A
TOXIC CULTURE WITHIN THAT
PROGRAM, REWARDING SILENCE AND
PUNISHING THOSE WHO SPOKE OUT.
OUR GRANT HERMES HAS BEEN PORING
THROUGH THAT REPORT TODAY, AND
GRANT OBVIOUSLY TROUBLING FOR A
PROGRAM THAT’S BEEN A PIPELINE
LATELY TO THE NHL AND TEAM USA.
YEAH VERY TROUBLING. INDEED WE
ARE TALKING HERE ABOUT
ALLEGATIONS OF PARADING STAFF
RETALIATING AGAINST STAFF AND
PLAYERS GETTING PLAYERS TO LIE
ON OFFICIAL COVID FORMS, ALL OF
IT. ANOTHER SCANDAL FOR MICHIGAN
ATHLETICS. INSIDE THE NEW REPORT
FROM THE D C LAW FIRM WILMERHALE
FORMER GOALIE AND VOLUNTEER
COACH, STEPHEN SHIELDS, ALLEGING
BULLYING AND RETALIATION AGAINST
STAFF AND PLAYERS FROM HEAD
COACH MEL PEARSON AND OPERATIONS
CHIEF RICK BANCROFT. ACCORDING
TO THE REPORT. SHIELDS MAKE
COMPLAINTS, PEARSON KEPT
EMPLOYEES WITH KNOWLEDGE OF
SEXUAL ABUSE AT THE HANDS OF
FORMER, UM DR ROBERT ANDERSON,
FEARS OF RETALIATION AGAINST
WOMEN ON STAFF AND PLAYERS AND
SKIRTING COVID POLICIES. IN ONE
INSTANCE, SHIELDS ALLEGING
OPERATIONS DIRECTOR RICK
BANCROFT HAD ISSUES WITH WOMEN
ON STAFF, SAYING HE QUOTE
DOESN’T BEHAVE HIMSELF AROUND
WOMEN. IN ANOTHER ALLEGATION,
PLAYERS WOULD HAVE THEIR
PROFESSIONAL DREAMS DAMAGED OVER
THERE. PLAY REDUCED IF THEY
SPOKE OUT, WOULD BE CAPTAIN
STRAUSS MAN WHO LEFT THE TEAM
LAST YEAR TO PLAY IN SWEDEN
DESPITE BEING A TOP PROSPECT FOR
THE NHL, AMONG THEM MICHIGAN
SPORTS HISTORIAN JOHN U. BACON
WHO LITERALLY WROTE THE BOOK
ABOUT MICHIGAN HOCKEY, CALLING
THIS ANOTHER BLACK EYE FOR THE
UNIVERSITY WITH THE POTENTIAL TO
GET WORSE ADS. UP TO TWO MUCH
AND IF AND ALL THIS IS OKAY,
THEN ANYTHING’S OKAY. AND YOU
HAVE NO MORAL AUTHORITY TO TALK
TO ANYBODY IN THE MEDICAL SCHOOL
, THE LAW SCHOOL, THE
ENGINEERING SCHOOL ABOUT SIMILAR
CONDUCT. ULTIMATELY
INVESTIGATORS ALSO FOUND THAT
MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS WERE SENT TO
MULTIPLE UNIVERSITY
ADMINISTRATORS SUMMARY FROM THIS
HERE FROM THE REPORT. THOSE
COMPLAINTS ABOUT PEARSON THAT
FREQUENTLY INVOLVE PEARSON
DIRECTLY OR CALLED INTO QUESTION
HIS SUPERVISION OF THE PROGRAM.
BANKRUPT RETIRED BACK IN JUNE,
WE DID REACH OUT TO THE MEN’S
HOCKEY PROGRAM. AND THE DIRECTOR
OF MICHIGAN ATHLETICS TODAY, BUT
DID NOT GET A COMMENT BACK FROM
EITHER BACK TO YOU. AND I
BELIEVE PEARSON’S CONTRACT WAS
JUST UP IN THE SPRING. GRANT
WHAT HAPPENS NOW THEN? HIS
CONTRACT JASON WAS UP ON MAY 1ST
WHAT HAPPENS NOW REMAINS TO BE
SEEN. INVESTIGATORS ALSO FOUND
THAT AT CERTAIN POINTS, PEARSON
HERE WAS NOT FULLY TRUTHFUL WITH
HIM WITH HIS ANSWERS. HIS
CONTRACT COULD BE UP NOW TO THE
ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT UNIVERSITY
, THEY WILL DECIDE WHETHER HE
GETS RENEWED FOR ANOTHER SEASON
. HIS SALARY IS ABOUT $400,000
PER SEASON. BACK TO YOU. ANOTHER
BLACK EYE FOR SURE THAT THE
UNIVERSITY DID NOT NEED ALRIGHT.
GRANT HERMES MOUNTING IN OXFORD
WEDNESDAY, LAWYERS REPRESENTING
SEVERAL VICTIMS REVEALED IT. AN
ARMED SECURITY GUARD FAILED TO
WALK INTO A BATHROOM WHERE THE
GUNMAN WAS STANDING WITH A
VICTIM. THAT TEAM WAS LATER SHOT
AND KILLED. PARENTS WE SPOKE
WITH, SAY THE SCHOOL BOARD
SHOULD HAVE RELEASED THAT
INFORMATION IMMEDIATELY.
PRIYA MANN JOINS US FROM OXFORD
HIGH SCHOOL PRIYA YOU HAVE NEW
INFORMATION ON THAT ARMED
SECURITY GUARD TONIGHT. THAT’S
RIGHT. KIM SHE WAS A DEPUTY WITH
THE OAKLAND COUNTY SHERIFF’S
DEPARTMENT FOR 29 YEARS,
STARTING IN CORRECTIONS AND
WORKING AS A ROAD PATROL DEPUTY
WHEN SHE RETIRED IN 2019, THAT
INFORMATION COMING TO US FROM
THE SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT AND
PARENTS. WE SPOKE TO INFORMATION
ABOUT THE ROLE THIS ARMED
SECURITY GUARD PLAYED DURING THE
MASS SHOOTING SHOULD HAVE BEEN
REVEALED MONTHS AGO, AND THEY’RE
DIRECTING THEIR ANGER TO THE
SCHOOL BOARD. HOW ARE WE
SUPPOSED TO MAKE CHANGE IF WE
DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THAT
DAY, OXFORD HIGH SCHOOL PARENTS
SAY THEY WERE DEVASTATED TO
LEARN. AN ARMED SECURITY GUARD
WAS ON THE SCENE AS THE OXFORD
HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING UNFOLDED,
AND WE REALLY JUST RENEWED THE
FIGHT AND THE ANGER UH, IN THE
DISTRUST LAWYERS REPRESENTING
SEVERAL OF THE VICTIMS, FAMILIES
AMENDED A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE
DISTRICT ON WEDNESDAY. ATTORNEYS
SAY SURVEILLANCE VIDEO SHOWS AN
ARMED SECURITY GUARD WALKED PAST
ONE OF THE VICTIMS WHO HAD BEEN
SHOT. ATTORNEYS SAY SHE THEN
OPENED THE BATHROOM DOOR WHERE
THE ALLEGED GUNMAN WAS BUT DID
NOT GO INSIDE. MOMENTS LATER,
JUSTIN SCHILLING WAS KILLED IN
THE BATHROOM. WE’VE GOT ALL
THESE PEOPLE OUT THERE SAYING,
OH, YOU’RE SUING FOR THE MONEY
OR YOU’RE SUING FOR THIS OR THAT
WE’RE SUING FOR TRANSPARENCY.
WE’RE SUING TO FIND OUT WHAT’S
HAPPENING. I DON’T TRUST MY
CHILD SAFE. I DON’T TRUST ANY OF
OUR KIDS ARE SAFE. I DON’T TRUST
THAT THEY’RE DOING THE RIGHT
THINGS TO KEEP THEM SAFE. IF
THEY ESPECIALLY THEY KEPT THE
SECURITY GUARD EMPLOYED TO THE
END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. THEY
NEED TO STEP DOWN. THEY NEED TO
GET OUT. THEY NEED TO STOP. THEY
IT’S AS IF THEY’VE JUST
SNOWBALLED INTO THIS BIG HMM.
COVER UP. I BELIEVE THAT THEY
ARE CHOOSING TO NOT DISCLOSE
CERTAIN THINGS TO PROTECT THEIR
JOBS TO PROTECT THEMSELVES. I
FEEL THAT EVEN AT THIS POINT, I
FEEL THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL,
THE GOVERNOR SHOULD BE ABLE TO
DO MORE AND STEP IN TO MAKE THEM
BE MORE TRANSPARENT. AND SHORTLY
AFTER THAT AMENDED LAWSUIT WAS
REVEALED. A SUPERINTENDENT HERE
IN OXFORD DID RELEASE HIS
STATEMENT, ESSENTIALLY PRAISING
THE WORK OF SOME STAFF MEMBERS
DURING THE MASS SHOOTING. IN
RESPONSE TODAY, VEN JOHNSON,
WHO’S REPRESENTING SOME OF THE
VICTIMS, FAMILIES PUT OUT HIS
OWN STATEMENT, WHICH DOES READ
IN PART WE NOW HEAR FROM OXFORD
COMMUNITY SCHOOLS FOR THE FIRST
TIME THAT A SECURITY EXPERT HAS
REVIEWED THIS MATTER AND
EXONERATED ALL OF THEIR
EMPLOYEES FROM WRONGDOING. WHEN
WAS THIS DONE? WHO IS THE EXPERT
? THIS DISTRICT? UTTER LACK OF
TRANS? PARENTS SEE IS
VICTIMIZING THESE FAMILIES OVER
AND OVER. WE ALSO DID REACH OUT
TO PROSECUTOR MCDONALD’S OFFICE
. THEY CANNOT COMMENT AS THIS IS
AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION
REPORTING LIVE TONIGHT IN
OXFORD. I’M PRIYA MANN. LOOKING
FOR. OKAY, PRIA. THANK YOU.
EARLY TEST RESULTS SHOW NO
TRACES OF CANCER CAUSING
CHEMICAL IN THE HURON RIVER. THE
11TH SURFACE SAMPLES TAKEN THIS
WEEK WHERE DOWNSTREAM FROM THE
RELEASE OF HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM,
THE STATE, SAYS WILSON’S TRIBE.
OUR MANUFACTURING RELEASED THE
CHEMICAL INTO THE SANITARY SEWER
SYSTEM. IT THEN WENT INTO THE
CREEK THAT FLOWS INTO THE HURON
RIVER. THE STATE IS STILL
RECOMMENDING PEOPLE STAY OUT OF
THE RIVER BETWEEN NORTH WIXOM
ROAD IN OAKLAND COUNTY AND
KENSINGTON ROAD IN LIVINGSTON.