Man shot and killed while trying to keep thieves from driving off in his car
Photographer: WXYZ
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Posted: 06/22/2012
DETROIT (WXYZ) - Mark Tompkins took pride in keeping his 2002 Ford Crown Victoria clean. It had a dent on the roof and a regular sound system, but it was special to Mark.
That's why friends say he slept in the bedroom closest to where he parked it. Mark wanted to hear if anyone was trying to steal it. And early Friday morning, someone did.
It appears Mark ran outside to try and stop the car thief, or thieves, and he was shot.
Mark's neighbors on the 6100 block of West Lafayette in Southwest Detroit say they heard two gunshots around 1:00 a.m.
Detroit Police recovered Mark's Crown Victoria about a mile away near W. Vernor Hwy. and Hubbard Street. Sources say it appears someone attempted to burn the vehicle.
Anyone with information on the murder of Mark Tompkins, 39, is urged to call Detroit Police Homicide investigators at (313) 596-2260.
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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