THE SHERIFF SAYS IT’S A TRAGEDY THAT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED. A MOTHER AND HER TWO YOUNG SONS
FOUND DEAD FROM THE COLD AND
TONIGHT WE’RE LEARNING
DEVASTATING NEW DETAILS INTO
WHAT WENT SORONG TOP HERE AT
FIVE. OAKLAND COUNTY SHERIFF
MIKE BOUCHARD SAYS THAT MOTHER’S
FAMILY TRIED TO GET HER HELP.
BUT SHE DIDN’T GET IT. FEARS
WERE REALIZED WHEN THAT MOTHER
AND HER TWO SONS WERE FOUND DEAD
IN A VACANT FIELD IN PONTIAC ROD
MELONI FOLLOWING THIS STORY
TONIGHT, AND YOU’VE GOT AN
UPDATE ON THE INVESTIGATION THIS
LATE THIS AFTERNOON ROD DE’VEON
IT? IT’S SO TRAGIC OUT HERE.
NOW. THIS IS THE AREA OF THE
WOODS OF AN OLD HOUSING PROJECT
AND WELL BACK INSIDE THERE,
ABOUT A HALF A MILE BACK IS
WHERE THE BODIES WERE FOUND IN A
FIELD NOW OVERNIGHT, THE MOTHER
AND THREE CHILDREN, TWO SONS AND
A DAUGHTER WERE IN THAT FIELD.
IT WAS COLD. THE DAUGHTER WOKE
UP. FOUND THAT SHE WAS GOING TO
BE OK AT LEAST TO APPOINT AND
WALKED OVER TO THAT HOUSE, THE
WHITE HOUSE OVER HERE ON THE
RIGHT AND KNOCKED ON THE DOOR
SUNDAY MORNING, SAYING SHE
NEEDED HELP, AND THAT’S WHEN THE
SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT ARRIVED.
SKY FORTUNE, A FLYING OVER THE
OLD LAKESIDE PROJECTS PROPERTY,
THE BUILDINGS LONG GONE, BUT ITS
REMAINING ROADWAYS OVERGROWN AS
ARE THE GROUNDS. IT IS HERE,
WHERE 35 YEAR OLD MONIKA KENNEDY
FOR TWO SONS, THREE YEAR OLD
MALIK AND NINE YEAR OLD KYLE
DIED IN THEIR SLEEP OF
HYPOTHERMIA. SHERIFF MIKE
BOUCHARD SAYS MONICA HAD SOME
OUT OF SIGHTED PEOPLE WERE OUT
TO KILL HER, INCLUDING SHERIFF’S
DEPUTIES, AND SHE LEFT HER
APARTMENT ONLY A MILE AWAY FROM
HERE ON FOOT, WITH THE THREE
CHILDREN LOOKING FOR SAFETY.
OVER THE COURSE OF A COUPLE OF
DAYS. WE ACTUALLY HAD BEEN
GETTING CALLS ABOUT. A WOMAN AND
KIDS NOT DRESSED APPROPRIATELY
FOR THE CONDITIONS. DEPUTIES
WOULD GO THERE, LOOK ALL THROUGH
THE AREA AND COULDN’T FIND
ANYBODY. WE LATER LEARNED FROM
THE SURVIVING DAUGHTER THAT SHE
HAD TOLD HER KIDS ANYTIME
ANYBODY APPROACH TO RUN, THEY
FOUND THEMSELVES IN THIS
NEIGHBORHOOD OFF OF BRANCH
STREET NEIGHBOR CHARLES
WITHERSPOON SAW POLICE ACTIVITY
YESTERDAY AND SPOKE WITH A
NEIGHBOR WHO HAD SPOKEN WITH THE
FAMILY. ON SATURDAY. THERE WAS
HUNGRY. I SAID, WELL, THAT, UH.
WHAT YOU DO WITH, SHE SAID. I
DIDN’T LET THEM IN. BUT HER
BROTHER, ARTHUR, HE? SHE SAID HE
TRIED TO GIVE THE YOUNG LADY
SOME MONEY. AND SHE WOULDN’T
ACCEPT IT. THEY WOUND UP IN THIS
FIELD NEAR AN ABANDONED OLD SUV
AT THE EDGE OF CRYSTAL LAKE.
THEY WERE IN THE FIELD. UM SHE
TOLD THE KIDS TO LAY DOWN. SLEEP
AND UNFORTUNATELY THAT’S WHERE
THEY PERISHED. NOW, THIS IS
TRAGEDY UPON TRAGEDY BECAUSE WE
COME TO FIND OUT THE HUSBAND AND
FATHER OF THESE CHILDREN WAS
SHOT AND KILLED IN A PONTIAC
PARTY ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO. THE
TRIAL IS APPARENTLY ONGOING, IT
WOULD APPEAR THAT THAT TRIAL MAY
HAVE HAD SOME SEVERE IMPACT ON
MONICA TO BRING HER CHILDREN
HERE. BACK TO YOU. IT’S JUST
HORRENDOUS ROD. WHAT DO WE WHAT
ARE THE SERVICES AVAILABLE TO
DESPERATE PARENTS LIKE MONICA?
WELL IT TURNS OUT THAT THERE ARE
AMPLE SERVICES, ALTHOUGH PERHAPS
NOT TO THE LEVEL THAT MANY
PEOPLE WOULD WANT TO HAVE. BUT
THERE WERE PLENTY OF SERVICES
FOR HER. WE’RE GOING TO TAKE A
CLOSER LOOK AT ALL OF THAT
COMING UP ON LOCAL 4 NEWS AT
SIX. ALRIGHT ROD. WE WILL SEE
YOU THEN. OUR OTHER TOP STORY,
THOUGH. HERE AT FIVE, DETROIT
POLICE OPENED FIRE ON AN ARMED
MAN AT A GAS STATION HAPPENED AT
THE SITKO STATION AT EIGHT MILE
AND BURGH ROAD THIS MORNING. AND
POLICE SAY THE WHOLE THING WAS
CAUGHT ON GREEN LIGHT CAMERAS.
SHAWN LEY IS ON THIS STORY FOR
US AND SEAN. I UNDERSTAND PEOPLE
INSIDE A GAS STATION CALLED 911
RIGHT AWAY. ABSOLUTELY AND
GIVING POLICE A PLAY BY PLAY OF
EVERYTHING THAT WENT DOWN. I CAN
ALSO SHOW YOU THESE DOORS WERE
SHOT OUT. GLASS ALREADY REPLACED
IF YOU LOOK INSIDE THE ICE CREAM
FREEZER THERE, IT WAS SHOT UP
ALREADY BEEN REPLACED. YOU SEE
THE BIG SCREENS HERE GREEN LIGHT
CAMERAS. POLICE CAN REVIEW ALL
OF THIS FOOTAGE. THIS ENTIRE
SITUATION DANGEROUS FOR EVERYONE
WHEN A MAN WALKED IN HERE. WITH
A GUN TURNED AROUND AND LOCK THE
DOOR BEHIND HIM. 7 20 THIS
MORNING A MAN WALKS INTO THIS
SICK GO AT EIGHT MILE AND BERG.
HE LOCKS THE DOOR BEHIND HIM AND
STARTS WAVING A GUN AROUND
POLICE RADIO TRAFFIC HIGHLIGHTS
THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION FIREARM
AT THE PERSON THAT CAME TO THE
DOOR. THAT GUN POINTED AT
CUSTOMERS WHO ARE OUTSIDE
DETROIT POLICE ARRIVED. POLICE
SAY THE MAN POINTED THE GUN AT
THEM. HE FIRED US UP. HE’S
FIRING JACK FIRE! THAT MAN IS
SHOT BY DETROIT POLICE. YOU CAN
SEE THE SHATTERED FRONT DOOR AND
SHATTERED COOLERS IN THE BACK.
RHONDA JACKSON WAS NEARBY AND
SOLD IT ALL GO DOWN. I COULD
HAVE BEEN GOING INTO THIS GAS
STATION. I COULD HAVE BEEN
WALKING UP THE BLACK OR WHATEVER
, AND I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE
MIDST OF THAT. HE WAS HEAVILY
ARMED. HE HAD AN EXTENDED CLIP
MAGAZINE ON THIS PERSON WITH THE
WEAPON AND ALSO HAD TWO
ADDITIONAL CLIPS. HERE’S WHAT
WE’RE LEARNING ABOUT THE GUNMAN
FROM DETROIT POLICE CHIEF JAMES
WHITE. IT APPEARS THAT HE POINTS
THE WEAPON AT THE OFFICER AT
SOME POINT, OFFICERS YELLING AND
YOU CAN HEAR THE OFFICER
YELLING, DROP THE WEAPON! DROP
THE WEAPON, AND THE OFFICER
FIRES MULTIPLE SHOTS LOCAL 4
CRIME AND SAFETY EXPERT DARNELL
BLACKBURN EXPLAINS WHY THAT
OFFICER OPENED FIRE AT THAT
MOMENT THAT GUN IS RAISED AT
THEM. THEY ARE JUSTIFIED IN
BEING ABLE TO FIRED THEIR
WEAPONS. TO UNFORTUNATELY,
ELIMINATE THE THREAT OF ANYBODY
GETTING HURT THEMSELVES OR
ANYBODY. BACK HERE. LIVE AGAIN.
POLICE SHOOT THE MAN. HE WAS
RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL RUSHED
INTO SURGERY. WE’RE TOLD HE’S IN
CRITICAL CONDITION RIGHT NOW.
DEVIN KIMBERLY. AND SEAN YOU.
YOU SPOKE WITH THE CLERK TO WHAT
DID HE HAVE TO TELL YOU? HE WAS
THE ONLY ONE INSIDE AT THE TIME
WHEN THE MAN BLOCKED IN AND
LOCKED THE DOOR. SO IF YOU SEE
THE PROTECTIVE GLASS THERE HE
WAS VERY, VERY CALM ON THE LINE
WITH POLICE THE WHOLE TIME
DESCRIBING EVERYTHING THAT HE
WAS WATCHING, AND PERHAPS THEY
WERE WATCHING ON GREEN LIGHT
CAMERAS. VERY CALM, AND I SPOKE
TO HIM. ALSO A GOOD THING THAT
NO ONE ELSE GOT HURT INDEED, FOR
SURE. OKAY, SEAN, WE APPRECIATE
IT. WELL TODAY IS THE DAY OF
SERVICE IN HONOR OF DR MARTIN
LUTHER KING JR TO MLK DAY
COMMITTEE CALLED FOR A CITY WIDE
MOBILIZATION RECOGNIZE THE CIVIL
RIGHTS HERO. THERE WAS A RALLY
MARCH AND A MEAL THIS AFTERNOON
AT THE ST MATTHEW’S SAINT JOSEPH
EPISCOPAL CHURCH ON DETROIT’S
WEST SIDE TODAY, SPEAKERS PART
OF SOCIAL MOVEMENTS THAT WERE
TAKING PLACE AROUND THE US ALL
ACROSS THE COUNTRY EVENTS BEING
HELD TO HONOR THE LIFE AND
LEGACY OF DR KING. TAKE A LOOK
AT LIVE PICTURES FROM WASHINGTON
, D C AND THE MARTIN LUTHER KING
MEMORIAL. PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
GATHERING THERE ALL DAY LONG.
AND MEANWHILE, BACK HERE AT HOME
IN SOUTHFIELD, HUGE TURNOUT AT
AN EVENT THAT’S GONE ON FOR
CLOSE TO 40 YEARS. KIM DEGUILIO
WAS THERE. WELL IT MAY BE CALLED
THE MLK PEACE WALK, BUT IT
CERTAINLY ISN’T A QUIET ONE. YOU
CAN SEE THE COMMUNITY OF
SOUTHFIELD COMING TOGETHER,
SHARING LOVE, SHARING JOY AND
SPREADING THE MESSAGE OF DR
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR HOPE
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WAS
PACKED WITH COMMUNITY SERVICE
GROUPS, SORORITIES, FRATERNITIES
AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS BEFORE
HEADING OUT FOR THE CITY’S
ANNUAL PEACE WALK THAT TAKES
PLACE EVERY MLK DAY. THE WHOLE
BUNCH OF DIFFERENT LIKE JUNIOR
LIKE HIGH SCHOOL AGE
ORGANIZATION. NATIONS. WE’RE
GOING TO BE MINGLING WITH THEM,
I GUESS TALKING TO EACH OTHER
AND HAVING FUN COUNTY EXECUTIVE
DAVID COULTER WAS IN ATTENDANCE
ADDRESSING THIS LIVELY CROWD
THAT IS FINALLY BACK TO DOING
THIS WALK IN PERSON FOR THE
FIRST TIME SINCE THE PANDEMIC,
SOUTHFIELD DOES IT RIGHT WHEN IT
COMES TO MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY
, AND I THINK THEY DO IT THE WAY
THE DOCTOR KING WOULD WANT HIM
TO DO, WHICH IS DON’T JUST SIT
AROUND AND MAKE A HOLIDAY OUT OF
IT. GET UP MARCH WORK, VOLUNTEER
AND MAKE YOUR VOICES HEARD
KICKED OFF AT THE CHURCH, MAKING
ITS WEIGHT. TOWARD THE SOUTH
FIELD PAVILION A FULL MILE TO
UNITE AS ONE JUST AS DR KING HAD
DREAMT OF NOT JUST A DAY OFF OF
SCHOOL. IT’S REALLY JUST A DAY
TO REMEMBER. DR KING DID FOR US
PAVED THE WAY AND NOW YOU KNOW,
WE CAN ALL LIVE TOGETHER
PEACEFULLY, AND IT WAS THE AGE
RANGE THAT STOOD OUT TO ME. SOME
OF THESE WALKERS WERE ALIVE TO
HEAR THE MESSAGE OF MARTIN
LUTHER KING JR WHILE OTHERS HAVE
ONLY READ ABOUT IT, BUT IT’S
EVENTS LIKE THIS THAT KEEP HIS
DREAM ALIVE. I LEARNED ABOUT
LUTHER KING AND LIKE ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL. THROUGH PROGRAMS LIKE
THIS, SO WE’LL HAVE TO TEACH
THEM THE SAME THING. THEY’LL BE
WALKING WITH US. SO I GUESS
WE’LL JUST TAKE THEM UNDER OUR
WING. KILL THE DREAMER, BUT YOU
CAN’T KILL THE DREAM. I JUST
WANNA MAKE SURE OUR YOUTH KNOW
THE STORY OF DR KING AND HIS
LEGACY THAT WE CONTINUE HIS
NONVIOLENT TRADITIONS. AFTER
THIS, THESE WALKERS ARE HEADED
TO THE SOUTH FIELD CIVIC CENTER,
WHERE THEY WILL GATHER AND ENJOY
FOOD FROM LOCAL SOUTHFIELD
RESTAURANTS AND ALSO TALK ABOUT
THE LEGACY AND REMEMBER DOCTOR