TROY LOCAL 4 NEWS AT FIVE STARTS NOW. NEW AT FIVE. THE FAMILY OF PATRICK LAWYER IS SUING THE
OFFICER WHO KILLED HIM AND THE
CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS, ALLEGING
EXCESSIVE FORCE. IT IS NOT JUST
OUR GRAND RAPIDS ISSUE. IT IS
NOT JUST A MICHIGAN ISSUES. THIS
IS A ISSUE ALL ACROSS AMERICA.
THAT EXCESSIVE FORCE LAWSUIT
ALSO CLAIMS THE GRAND RAPIDS
POLICE DEPARTMENT USED RACIAL
PROFILE. THIS COMES AS THE
CRIMINAL CASE MOVES FORWARD
AGAINST NOW. FORMER GRAND RAPIDS
OFFICER CHRISTOPHER SURE, ROD
MELONI WAS AT TODAY’S NEWS
CONFERENCE. HE’S WITH US NOW
LIVE. LIOTTA’S ATTORNEYS TOOK A
LOT OF TIME TO GO THROUGH THE
SUIT TODAY. WELL YOU KNOW, A
PRESS CONFERENCE ISN’T A COURT
OF LAW. BUT BEN JOHNSON MAKE
THAT BEN JOHNSON AND BEN CRUMP
TREATED IT THAT WAY BECAUSE THEY
WANTED TO GIVE VERY DETAILED
EXPLANATIONS OF WHY THEY BELIEVE
THAT OFFICER SURE THAT DAY
EITHER BROKE THE LAW AND OR
BROKE CIVIL RIGHTS PROTOCOLS AND
EVEN HIS TRAINING IN THE TRAFFIC
STOPS. SO THEY FILED THIS. THEY
WANT HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS. TO CATCH UP TO SOMEBODY
WHO ATTORNEY VAN JOHNSON SHOWED
THE DIFFERING VIDEOS OF THE
GRAND RAPIDS TRAFFIC STOP OF
PATRICK LAWYER BACK IN APRIL. HE
STOPPED THE VIDEOS AT CRITICAL
MOMENTS DETAILING VIRTUALLY
EVERY CORNER OF THEIR FEDERAL
AND STATE CIVIL RIGHTS LAWSUITS
AGAINST FORMER OFFICER SURE, AND
THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS ITSELF
. THEY EVEN SHOWED THE ACTUAL
SHOOTING AS PATRICK’S FATHER,
PETER LELIA, WATCHED THROUGH AN
INTERPRETER. HE SAID. WANNA
NIGEL COME UP DEPENDS IS SO DEEP
BITTERNESS IS SO DEEP TO THE
POINT THAT I CAN EVEN LOST MY
LIFE. EVERY TIME WHEN I THINK
ABOUT MY SON, MY SON, LEAVING US
TO CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY BEN
CRUMP SUMMED UP THEIR CLAIM. SO
WHEN YOU TAKE DRIVING WHILE
BLACK PLASTIC EXCESSIVE FORCE
YOU END UP WITH PATRICK PAOLA
BEING UNJUSTLY. EXECUTED BY THIS
GRAND RAPIDS POLICE OFFICER
JOHNSON SHOWED THE EVIDENCE HE’S
RECEIVED FROM MICHIGAN STATE
POLICE IN THE CITY OF GRAND
RAPIDS, AND HE BELIEVES THE CITY
HAS MUCH TO ANSWER FOR IN ITS
POLICING AND TRAINING PRACTICES
AND WHAT ITS REPRESENTATIVES
SAID INSURERS RECENT PRELIMINARY
EXAMINATION CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS
HAD A POLICE OFFICER COME INTO
COURT, RIGHT. AND ACTUALLY
TESTIFY THAT EVERYTHING THAT WE
TRAINED HIM. HE DID RIGHT. THEN
WHY IS HE FIRED ANY AMAZINGLY,
THAT THE MEN IS STILL FREE IS AT
HOME WITH HIS WIFE AND HIS
CHILDREN. AND MY SON IS VERY AND
PATRICK IS DEAD. AMAZINGLY. SURE
IS AWAITING HIS TRIAL. HE IS OUT
ON BOND AS WE SPEAK. NOW WE
REACH OUT TO THE CITY OF GRAND
RAPIDS. THEIR COMMUNICATIONS
TEAM TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE NOT
RECEIVED THIS FILING YET AND SO,
THEREFORE THEY HAVE NOTHING TO
SAY, AND THEY’LL LET IT PLAY OUT
IN COURT. BACK TO YOU, ROD. TALK
ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT
THEY’RE ALLEGING THAT THE FORMER
OFFICER GOT WRONG IN THE TRAFFIC
STOP. WELL WHAT THEY SAID WAS
THE STOP. PROBABLY SHOULDN’T
HAVE EVEN HAPPENED AT ALL
BECAUSE THEY SAY THERE WAS NO
PROBABLE CAUSE WHATSOEVER. THE
GOYA IS NOT TELLING THE TRUTH
WHEN IT COMES TO THAT, BUT THEY
ALSO SAID THAT HE FIRED HIS
TASER IMPROPERLY. AND OF COURSE,
THE SHOOTING ITSELF, THEY SAID
WAS ABSOLUTELY EXCESSIVE FORCE,
RIGHT, ROB? NEW HERE AT FIVE.
MICHIGAN STATE POLICE SAY A NINE
YEAR OLD BOY WAS NOT WEARING A
SEATBELT WHEN A BOX TRUCK REAR
ENDED THE CAR HE WAS IN HAPPENED
AROUND 7 40 LAST NIGHT ALONG THE
SOUTHFIELD FREEWAY RIGHT NEAR
THE EIGHT MILE ROAD EXIT.
SHAWN LEY IS LIVE ON THIS STORY
FORCED TONIGHT. SEAN, THIS IS
JUST SO TRAGIC. TRAGIC REALLY
SAD SHOULD GET ALL OF OUR
ATTENTION. BECAUSE WE’VE ALL
PRETTY MUCH BEEN ON THE
SOUTHFIELD FREEWAY. WE KNOW THE
SPEEDS. WE ALSO KNOW THERE’S NOT
A RULE LOT OF ROOM DOWN THERE TO
GO, ESPECIALLY IF YOUR CAR IS
BREAKING DOWN. MSP BELIEVES THIS
MOM EITHER HAD A FLAT CAR WAS
BREAKING DOWN. SHE WAS TRYING TO
GET TO THAT EXIT RAMP BY EIGHT
MILE RIGHT ACROSS THERE. SHE DID
NOT MAKE IT AND THE RESULTS AS
YOU SAY ARE TRAGIC. NO. THE
CHILD WAS NOT OBJECTED, BUT WAS
NOT WEARING A SEAT. AND THAT’S
THE BIGGEST ISSUE. WE’RE SEEING
THIS ALL THE TIME. NOW FOR SOME
REASON, SEATBELT USE IS STARTING
TO DECLINE ACROSS THE COUNTRY,
NOT JUST IN MICHIGAN REACTION OF
TRAGIC EVENTS LAST EVENING ON
THE SOUTHFIELD FREEWAY, YOU CAN
SEE FROM THIS VIDEO, A SMALL
CAR, IT’S BACK END CRUSHED, MSP
SAYS, CRUSHED WHEN THE DRIVER OF
THE BOX TRUCK YOU SEE SLAMMED
INTO THE REAR OF IT THE
CIRCUMSTANCES. A MOTHER IN THE
SMALLER CAR DRIVING 10 MILES AN
HOUR ON THE FREEWAY WITH THE
CAR’S HAZARD LIGHTS ON THE CAR
WAS BREAKING DOWN OR POLICE
BELIEVE SHE HAD A FLAT. MICHIGAN
STATE POLICE BELIEVE THE DRIVER
OF THE BOX TRUCK WAS DRIVING
ABOUT 55 MILES AN HOUR WASN’T
PAYING ATTENTION OR WAS IMPAIRED
ON NARCOTICS WHEN HE SLAMMED
INTO THE BACK OF THE CAR.
KILLING THE NINE YEAR OLD CHILD
IN THE BACK SEAT. WOULD A
SEATBELT HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE
IN THIS CASE? SHE HAD A HECK OF
A LOT BETTER CHANCE, OR HE HAD A
BETTER CHANCE OF SURVIVING IF
THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN BELTED IN
FROM ABOVE DRONE FORK AND SHOW
YOU HOW THE MOTHER WAS INCHING
ALONG SOUTHBOUND ON M 39 TRYING
TO REACH THE EIGHT MILE EXIT. SO
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU’RE
BREAKING DOWN OR HAVE A FLAT,
ESPECIALLY IN A PLACE LIKE THE
SOUTHFIELD FREEWAY? YOU COULD
CALL 911 WILL SEND OUT A TRUCK
FOR YOU THAT WE HAVE COURTESY
VANS THAT PATROL THE METRO
DETROIT FREEWAYS. IF WE DON’T
HAVE ONE AVAILABLE WILL SEND A
TROOPER OUT TO WHAT CHANGED THAT
TIRE FOR YOU. REALLY TRAGIC FOR
THE FAMILY. AND FOR THE EIGHT
YEAR NINE YEAR OLD BOY ALL THIS
REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR
POSSIBLE CHARGES AGAINST THE
DRIVER OF THE BOX TRUCK AGAIN.
IT’S WORTH REPEATING, MSP SAYS.
IF YOU’RE BREAKING DOWN,
ESPECIALLY ON A HIGHWAY LIKE
THIS ONE TRYING TO GET OVER, TRY
TO GET OFF. IF YOU CAN TRY TO
GET OVER, HIT YOUR HAZARDS AND
CALL 911 RIGHT AWAY. WE’RE LIVE
TONIGHT. SHAWN LEY LOCAL FORCE
BACK TO TRAGIC, OKAY? SEAN
THANKS TROY. MAN IS KILLED
TRYING TO PASS A SEMI TRUCK IN A
CONSTRUCTION ZONE IN OAKLAND
COUNTY OLD MAN HAD TO MERGE
BECAUSE HIS LANE WAS CLOSING ON
WESTBOUND 6 96 AND HAGGERTY IN
FARMINGTON HILLS, TRIED TO PASS
THE SEMI BUT INSTEAD CRASHED
INTO IT AND ROLLED INTO A DITCH
. WHEN POLICE ARRIVED. THE MAN
WAS TRAPPED IN HIS CAR AND THE
CAR WAS ON FIRE. THIS WAS JUST
BEFORE SIX THIS MORNING, CLOSING
THE STRETCH OF THE FREEWAY FOR
THE MORNING COMMUTE WHILE POLICE
INVESTIGATED TWO PEOPLE ARE
RESCUED FROM AN APARTMENT
BUILDING AS A FIRE SPREAD
OVERNIGHT. THE TWO STORY
BUILDING CAUGHT FIRE NEAR
WESTERN AWE AND HEWITT ROAD AND
ABSALON A FEW BLOCKS FROM THE
CAMPUS OF EASTERN MICHIGAN
UNIVERSITY. IT HAPPENED JUST
BEFORE FIVE THIS MORNING. TWO
PEOPLE WERE ASLEEP AND NEEDED
CREWS TO HELP GET THEM OUT. TWO
OF THE EIGHT UNITS WERE DAMAGED
. CREWS ARE STILL LOOKING INTO
THE CAUSE. POLICE ARE HOPING NEW
VIDEO WILL HELP GET THREE GUNMEN
BEHIND BARS IN A WILD SHOOTING.
THIS WAS LAST NIGHT, EAST WARREN
THEIR OUTER DRIVE. YOU CAN
CLEARLY SEE THREE MEN RUNNING
TOWARDS THE JEEP AND OPENING
FIRE. JACQUELINE FRANCIS LIVE ON
THE EAST SIDE. ONE OF THOSE
SHOTS, I GUESS JACQUELINE WAS AT
POINT BLANK RANGE. DEVIN IT WAS
IN THAT VIDEO. YOU CAN EVEN SEE
THE CAR WINDOW SHATTER FROM THE
BULLETS. THE CHAOTIC AND VIOLENT
SCENE UNFOLDED IN THE LIQUOR
STORE PARKING LOT BEHIND ME.
TAKE A LOOK. IT HAPPENS IN A
MATTER OF SECONDS. SHOTS FIRED
TWO PEOPLE HIT. THE DOUBLE
SHOOTING TOOK PLACE JUST BEFORE
SIX TUESDAY EVENING IN THE
PARKING LOT OF NINO’S MARKET AND
EAST WARREN NEAR OUTER DRIVE.
DETROIT POLICE SAY THREE PEOPLE
WERE IN THE WHITE JEEP CHEROKEE
EXITING THE PARKING LOT WHEN
SUDDENLY THREE MALE SUSPECTS
APPROACHED ON FOOT FIRING SHOTS
INTO THE CAR. IF YOU ZOOM IN,
YOU CAN SEE THE PASSENGER WINDOW
SHATTERED FROM THE BULLETS, A 24
YEAR OLD MAN AND A 21 YEAR OLD
WOMAN INSIDE THE CAR WERE HIT.
THE THIRD PASSENGER WASN’T HURT.
THE VICTIMS DROVE TO A HOSPITAL
AND WERE LISTED IN STABLE
CONDITION. MEANWHILE THE
SUSPECTS ESCAPED IN A GRAY SUV.
POLICE HOPING THIS VIDEO WILL
HELP LEAD TO THEIR ARREST. IF
YOU RECOGNIZE THE PEOPLE IN THAT
VIDEO, OR HAVE ANY INFORMATION
ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. YOU’RE
ASKED TO CONTACT DETROIT POLICE
FIFTH PRECINCT OR YOU CAN ALSO
CALL CRIME STOPPERS AT 1 800
SPEAK UP REPORTING LIVE IN
DETROIT, JACQUELINE FRANCIS
LOCAL 4 SOMEONE DOES. ALL RIGHT,
JACQUELINE. ALL RIGHT. WELL THE
FLIGHTS ARE FLYING UP NORTH WEEK
TAKE A LIVE LOOK OF WHAT SHOULD
BE THE ECONOMIC BRIDGE. THAT’S
THAT’S WHAT OUR PRODUCER SAID.
THIS IS FROM THE KEPLER’S FERRY
DOCK. AND IF YOU LOOK VERY
CLOSELY THERE, YOU CAN JUST SEE
THE OUTLINE OF IT FROM THE SNOW,
AND WE COULD BE IN THE SAME BOAT
A LITTLE LATER THAN WHAT YOU DID
THERE. THE SHEPHERDS FERRY WE’RE
IN THE CLEAR FOR NOW, AFTER A
FOGGY START TO THE DAY, POLLY HI
, PAUL. WELL, YOU WEREN’T GOING
TO SAY YOU WERE AT LEAST GONNA
BE IN THE SAME FREIGHTER. I
MEAN, THAT THAT JUST WOULDN’T
WORK IN THE SAME BOAT. KIND OF
RIGHT NOW, THOUGH, WE’RE NOT. WE
HAVE CLOUDY SKIES, BUT IT IS DRY
OUT THERE, SO WE’RE IN REALLY,
REALLY GOOD SHAPE AND
TEMPERATURE WISE, SAME THING.
LOOK AT THIS. STILL MID FORTIES
DETROIT HOWELL, PONTIAC, ADRIAN
ALL IN THE MID FORTIES. VERY,
VERY LIGHT WIND. THIS IS A GREAT
NIGHT TO GET OUT AND MAYBE DO
SOME OF THAT SHOPPING. EXACT
TRACK. 40 RADAR JUST CONFIRMS
WHAT I JUST TOLD YOU. THERE IS
NOTHING GOING ON AROUND HERE. WE
ARE IN REALLY GOOD SHAPE. AND SO
THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS, JUST
A VERY SLOW DROP IN TEMPERATURE
WITH THESE CLOUDS WILL JUST BE
SLIPPING JUST SLOWLY THROUGH THE
FORTIES. NOT EVEN REACHING THE
UPPER THIRTIES UNTIL ABOUT
MIDNIGHT. SO IT’LL BE A DRY
EVENING IN STORE. SO COMING UP
NOW IN LESS THAN 10 MINUTES, OUR
SNOW CHANCES ARE INCREASING ON
FRIDAY. WE’RE GOING TO TALK
ABOUT THE FRIDAY STORM. I’LL
SHOW YOU SOME SNOW TOTALS
WEEKEND. WE HAVE SOME RAIN SOME
FLAKES IN THE FORECAST. MAYBE
EVEN A LITTLE BIT OF SUN. AND
NEXT WEEK WE HAVE ANOTHER
IMPACTFUL STORM. THAT’LL BE
AFFECTING THE AREA. ALL THAT
COMING UP IN JUST A BIT. DON’T
FORGET, THOUGH THE FOREWARN
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