LIVE FROM DOWNTOWN DETROIT LOCAL 4 NEWS AT 11 STARTS NOW. SHE NEVER IMAGINED HER CHILDREN
WOULD GROW UP WITHOUT HIM. ONE
OF THE THINGS SHE SAID TO ME
WHEN IT HAPPENED WAS I ONLY GOT
NINE YEARS WITH HIM. AND IT
BREAKS MY HEART BECAUSE SHE’S
RIGHT. IT WAS ONLY 40 BE HERE
WITH US. DESPITE THE SHOCK AND
GRIEF, THE FAMILY OF OFFICER
LAUREN COURTS WANTS YOU TO KNOW
WHAT AN EXCEPTIONAL MAN FATHER
AND POLICE OFFICER HE WAS. AND
EVERYTHING THAT’S HAPPENED SINCE
WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOR OFFICER
COURTS. FAMILY HAS JUST BEEN
SURREAL. AND MOST OF ALL, SO
BREATHTAKINGLY UNFAIR. AND
TONIGHT, THE WIDOW OF OFFICER
LAUREN COURTS IS OPENING UP
ABOUT HIS LIFE AND LEGACY MORE.
MCDONALD JOINS US LIVE AND MARA
WHAT A DIFFICULT, DIFFICULT TIME
FOR THAT FAMILY. KIMBERLY IT IS
SO HARD AND WE VISITED WITH
CHRISTINE COURTS AND THEIR TWO
CHILDREN, DARIEN AND DEVON, AND
THEY REALLY WANT YOU TO KNOW
ABOUT THEIR DAD. EVERY TIME WE
THANK YOU. IT IS ALL
OVERWHELMING AND JUST SO VERY,
VERY HARD. I AM ANGRY. BUT I’M
MORE SAD. I’M SAD THAT I DON’T
GET TO SEE HIM AGAIN AND WE
DON’T GET TO HUG HIM AGAIN. I’M
SAD. I DON’T KNOW IF I IF I HAVE
TIME TO BE ANGRY RIGHT NOW,
CHRISTINE AND LAUREN HAVE TWO
BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN. NINE YEAR
OLD DEVON IN 15 YEAR OLD
DARRIEN, WEARING AN MSU
SWEATSHIRT HERE. THAT’S WHERE
HIS DAD WENT TO SCHOOL AND DEVON
WEARING HIS BATMAN T SHIRT. AND
THEY WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT
THEIR DAD. KEVIN. WHAT DID YOU
LOVE TO DO WITH YOUR DAD? THE
MOST HANG OUT WITH HER. SO WHEN
YOU GUYS WERE HANGING OUT, WHAT
WOULD YOU DO? WATCHING HER. OR
PARADE TOGETHER. WOULDN’T PART
OF IT. PUT ASIDE ANYTHING IF WE
NEEDED ANYTHING. HE WAS JUST
ALWAYS THERE FOR WHATEVER WE
NEEDED. LAUREN COURTS LOVED
BEING A DETROIT POLICE OFFICER,
BUT DEVIN AND DARIEN WERE HIS
NUMBER ONE. I KEEP ASKING WHY,
LIKE I PRAYED SO HARD SO HARD
AND WHEN WE WERE AT THE HOSPITAL
IT’S ALMOST IT WAS YOU UNREAL,
LIKE OUT OF BODY BECAUSE WHEN
THEY CAME IN YOU JUST KNEW RIGHT
AWAY. YOU KNEW WHEN THE DOCTOR
CAME IN THAT THIS WASN’T GONNA
BE GOOD. CHRISTINA SURROUNDED BY
HER EXTENDED FAMILY AND FRIENDS
. WHEN WE VISITED, THE HOUSE WAS
FILLED TO THE BRIM. BUT IN SO
MANY WAYS SHE AND HER CHILDREN
ARE AT THE CENTER OF A WHIRLWIND
WITH THIS VAST FEELING OF
EMPTINESS. HOW DO YOU FEEL? WHAT
IS NOW A GIANT ACHING VOID.
THERE’S A LOT THAT I CAN’T DO
FOR THEM THAT HE COULD HE CAN DO
AND. HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HERE
TO DO THAT, AND NOW THERE’S JUST
SOME THINGS I WON’T BE ABLE TO
DO, BUT I’M GOING TO DO THE BEST
I CAN. BACK HERE LIVE. LAUREN
COURTS WORKED A LOT OF HOURS AT
DPD. CHRISTINE SAYS HIS WHOLE
ATTITUDE WAS FIRST ONE IN LAST
ONE OUT, SO YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW
EXCITED EVERYBODY WAS. THAT HE
WAS TAKING NEXT WEEK OFF THE
WHOLE WEEK, AND THEY WERE
PLANNING A VACATION UP TO CEDAR
POINT. WELL NEXT WEEK IS GOING
TO BE ENTIRELY DIFFERENT NOW.
WE’RE LIVE IN PLYMOUTH TONIGHT.
I’M MARA MACDONALD, LOCAL 4 NO
WORDS JUST HEARTBREAKING. ALL
RIGHT, LAURA. THANK YOU. WELL
WITH QUESTIONS STILL SURROUNDING
THE 19 YEAR OLD SUSPECT AND HIS
PREVIOUS RUN INS WITH POLICE,
MACOMB COUNTY PROSECUTOR PETE
LUCIDO IS BLAMING COUNTY
EXECUTIVE MARK HACKEL FOR WHY AN
ARREST WARRANT FOR HIM WAS
DELAYED CLAIM BY THE WAY HACKLE
CALLS ABSURD. IT ALL CENTERS
AROUND A DRIVE BY SHOOTING JUNE
9TH GRAD PARTY IN EAST POINT. A
WARRANT REQUEST WAS SUBMITTED TO
THE MACOMB COUNTY PROSECUTOR,
JUNE 22ND AGAINST THE SUSPECT,
IMANI DAVIS, BUT IT WASN’T
PROCESSED UNTIL YESTERDAY, A DAY
AFTER DAVIS SHOT AND KILLED
LAUREN COURTS AND WAS HIMSELF
KILLED. PLACIDO TOLD ME HIS
OFFICE HAD TO DO ADDITIONAL
INVESTIGATING AND IS BLAMING THE
DELAY ON STAFFING ISSUES,
SPECIFICALLY POINTING FINGERS AT
HACKEL, WHO RESPONDED WITH THIS
STATEMENT TONIGHT. THE BOTTOM
LINE IS THAT LOOSE. EDO FAILED
TO SEE THE RED FLAGS IN THIS
CASE, THE 19 YEAR OLD SHOOTER
ALREADY HAD MULTIPLE POLICE
CONTACTS FOR WEAPONS AND
VIOLENCE. EVEN IF THERE HAD BEEN
A PILE OF WARRANT REQUESTS. THE
PROSECUTOR HAD A DUTY TO PLACE
THIS ONE ON THE TOP OF THE PILE.
HE DID NOT. WE ASKED BOTH THE
CEDO AND HACKLE FOR AN ON CAMERA
INTERVIEW TONIGHT. BOTH
DECLINED. ALL RIGHT. LET’S TURN
NOW TO THE FORECAST WITH THE
AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND LONG GONE
NOW, BRETT, WE KNOW SOME AREAS
GOT HIT PRETTY HARD TONIGHT
BEFORE IT GOT NICE OUT THERE
WE’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT. WE’VE
BEEN NEEDING SOME DECENT RAINS,
SOME SOAKING RAINS. SOME OF US
GOT THAT. NOT EVERYBODY, THOUGH
. DID THOSE OF US THAT DID A
GOOD DOSE. HOW ABOUT OVER TWO
INCHES JUST SOUTHEAST OF ANN
ARBOR CLOSE TO AN INCH
OFFICIALLY ON THE CAMPUS OF UM
BRIGHTON 1.5 INCHES NEARLY AN
INCH IN FARMING TONIGHT, AND THE
RADAR ESTIMATES ARE REALLY
TELLING THE STORY OF WHERE THIS
THING SET UP SHOP AND YOU CAN
SEE SOME OF THE RADAR ESTIMATES
WELL OVER AN INCH OF RAIN. THIS
COMING AFTER THE RECENT DROUGHT
MONITOR CAME OUT, KEEP THEM SOME
PARTS OF THE AREA IN THAT
ABNORMALLY DRY CATEGORY, LIKELY
TO CHANGE THOUGH OVER THE COMING
DAYS, HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN
FROM THE NORTH, AND THAT MEANS
LOTS OF SUN AND RAIN MOVING OUT.
FOR THE WEEKEND. IF YOU HAVE ANY
PLANS EITHER DAY BOTH LOOK GOOD
UPPER SEVENTIES LOW EIGHTIES ARE
ON TAP, BUT HE HUMIDITY AND RAIN
COMING BACK. WE’LL TALK ABOUT
WHEN JUST A BIT. RIGHT NOW. ELON
MUSK’S $44 BILLION OFFERED BY
TWITTER IS ON THE VERGE OF
COLLAPSE TODAY MUST SEND A
LETTER TO TWITTER’S BOARD,
SAYING HE’S CALLING OFF THIS
DEAL AFTER THE COMPANY ALLEGEDLY
FAILED TO PROVIDE ENOUGH
INFORMATION ABOUT THE NUMBER OF
FAKE ACCOUNTS. MUSK SAYS THE
INFORMATION IS FUNDAMENTAL TO
TWITTER’S BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL
PERFORMANCE AND IS NEEDED TO
FINISH THE MERGER. TWITTER
IMMEDIATELY FIRED BACK, SAYING
IT WILL SUE MUSK. TO UPHOLD THE
DEAL TODAY. PRESIDENT BIDEN
SIGNING A NEW EXECUTIVE ORDER TO
PROTECT ABORTION RIGHTS JUST TWO
WEEKS AFTER THE LANDMARK SUPREME
COURT DECISION OVERTURNING ROE
VERSUS WADE. THE PRESIDENT WANTS
FEDERAL AGENCIES TO MAKE SURE
WOMEN CAN CROSS STATE LINES TO
ACCESS ABORTION SERVICES TO
SAFEGUARD ACCESS TO ABORTION
MEDICATIONS AND EMERGENCY
CONTRACEPTION. HE ALSO WANTS TO
PROTECT PATIENT PRIVACY TODAY.
AT A SIGNING CEREMONY, PRESIDENT
BIDEN DESCRIBED THE SUPREME
COURT AS OUT OF CONTROL. WE
CANNOT ALLOW AN OUT OF CONTROL
SUPREME COURT. WORKING IN
CONJUNCTION WITH EXTREMIST
ELEMENTS OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
TO TAKE AWAY FREEDOMS AND OUR
PERSONAL AUTONOMY. HERE IN
MICHIGAN IN 1931 LAW BANNING
ABORTION HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY
BLOCKED IN COURT. BUT THE BATTLE
OVER THAT IS STILL FAR FROM
OVER. FEDERAL PROSECUTORS OPENED
A NEW INVESTIGATION INTO FORMER
DETROIT MAYOR KWAME KILPATRICK’S
FINANCES. THEY’RE TRYING TO
DETERMINE IF KILPATRICK IS
PAYING ONE PAYING BACK $1.7
MILLION THAT HE STILL OWES
TAXPAYERS AND THE I. R S HE
STARTED VARIOUS BUSINESS
VENTURES SINCE HIS PRISON
SENTENCE WAS COMMUTED. RECENTLY
HE STARTED ASKING FOR DONATIONS
OF $8000 TO BUY A NEW HOME IN
ORLANDO, ALTHOUGH THAT REQUEST
SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN TAKEN DOWN
NOW. THE U. S ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
CALLS THE INVESTIGATION ROUTINE
, BUT THE EFFORTS COULD HELP
PROSECUTORS SEES MONEY OR
GARNISH INCOME OR TAX RETURNS. A
SPECIAL MOMENT TONIGHT AT JIMMY
JOHN’S FIELD IN UTICA, LOCAL
LIVER TRANSPLANT PATIENT HIS
DONOR AND DOCTORS THROUGHOUT THE
FIRST PITCH AT TONIGHT’S GAME.
THE GAME WAS DEDICATED TO LIVING
DONOR AWARENESS, AND MEGAN WOODS
WAS THERE FOR THE BIG MOMENT.
SHE JOINS US LIVE FROM UTICA
WITH MORE HIGH, MEGAN. HI SO IT
WAS SUCH A BIG AND SPECIAL
MOMENT FOR THIS FAMILY. SO WHEN
YOU THINK ABOUT BASEBALL IN A
LIVING ORGAN DONORS, THEY SEEM
LIKE AN UNLIKELY MATCH. BUT
TONIGHT AT JIMMY JOHN’S FIELD
HERE IN UTICA, WE LEARNED THAT
THEY HAVE MORE IN COMMON THAN
YOU MIGHT THINK. THINK OF LIVING
DONOR LIVER TRANSPLANT AS A
TRIPLE PLAY THE PERSON WHO NEEDS
AN ORGAN TRANSPLANT, A
COMPASSIONATE DONOR AND A
HEALTHCARE SYSTEM. DAVE BOBINSKI
KNOWS ALL TOO WELL IN 2013. HE
WAS DIAGNOSED WITH PSC, AN AUTO
IMMUNE DISEASE, SAID THAT
THERE’S REALLY NO TREATMENT
OTHER THAN A LIVER TRANSPLANT IN
FEBRUARY, 2019. HE WAS PUT ON
THE WAITING LIST. BUT LITTLE DID
HE KNOW HIS BROTHER IN LAW MARK
DIABETES. WAS TESTING TO BECOME
A DONOR. I WANTED TO TALK TO
DAVE DESPERATELY, BUT ANY STEP
OF THE PROGRAM YOU CAN FALL OFF
THAT LIST MARK ENDED UP A MATCH
AND IN NOVEMBER 2019 THE TWO HAD
A SUCCESSFUL SURGERY AT HENRY
FORD HEALTH HOSPITAL. NOT ONLY
DO YOU SAVE THE LIVES OF THE
RECIPIENT, YOU ALSO FREE UP
ANOTHER ORGAN FORM THE
TRANSPLANT LIST THAT WAS FUN.
LOOK AT A BASEBALL GAME TODAY.
IT’S KIND OF A DOUBLE HEADER ON
FRIDAY NIGHT, THEY GOT THE
CHANCE TO INSPIRE OTHERS TO BE
HEROES THEY THREW. THE FIRST
PITCH IS WITH THEIR TRANSPLANT
SURGEON IN NURSE AND MARK WAS
HONORED AS A HOMETOWN HERO. IT’S
QUITE EASY TO RECOVER SIX WEEKS
AND A HUMAN LIVER. RETURNS TO
ITS FULL MASS AND YOU WOULDN’T
EVEN EVEN FIGURED IT HAPPENED.
AND DAVE, THE MAN WHO RECEIVED
THAT LIVER TRANSPLANT SAYS HIM
AND HIS WIFE ACTUALLY LAUNCHED A
NEW NON PROFIT THIS YEAR TO
BRING EVEN MORE AWARENESS TO
LIVING ORGAN DONORS. FOR MORE
INFORMATION. WE’LL HAVE THAT ON
CLICKONDETROIT.COM LIVE IN UTICA
. I’M MEGAN WOODS, LOCAL 4. THAT