DETROIT (WXYZ) — Detroit Police officers were shot at multiple times Thursday in two high-speed chases just less than five hours apart. Both incidents happened on Detroit’s west side.
Anthony Wojtas lives just a few doors down from where one of the suspects was eventually caught in Dearborn.
“I’ve lived here about 40 years, a little over 40 years and I’ve never seen nothing like this,” said Wojtas.
DPD finally caught the suspects around 10:30 pm Thursday. DPD Chief Charles Fitzgerald explained what happened after an attempted traffic stop, followed by a high-speed chase and multiple shots fired at police.
“Two fled into the Allen Park side. They were taken into custody shortly thereafter. One was on the opposite side. Dearborn took that person into custody,” said Fitzgerald.
Wojtas explained what he witnessed.
“A lot of police cars, a lot of police running around. When I came up there was a gentleman in the driveway here. He’s on the ground. The police are on him trying to handcuff him. And he’s trying to fight the police off,” explained Wojtas.
Police recovered two guns from that arrest. The other two suspects were juveniles, one was 17, the other was just 14. The 14-year-old had been released on an $800 bond just two days earlier after being accused of shooting his girlfriend in her lower back on August 3rd.
Rhonda Walker lives right near where the earlier incident unfolded around 5:45 pm at 6 Mile and Burwood.
“My room is right here on the side. I heard sirens, a lot of sirens. Then I heard something say, ‘Boom!’ I jumped up and I looked out the window and all I saw was state troopers, a couple of DPD police cars,” said Walker.
Chief Fitzgerald described what happened from DPD’s perspective.
“It ended in a crash, hit a couple parked cars. All three suspects from the Buick fled. As one of our officers given chase on foot,” said Fitzgerald.
That’s when one officer was shot at but was not harmed. Two of the suspects were quickly caught. Police say the third suspect jumped into a running Silver Ford Flex and got away.
Walker reacted to all the commotion happening so close to her home.
“I fear. I fear because just like how they ran into her house. They could have ran into my house, and what could I have done?” Asked Walker.
Police are still looking for the suspect who fled in that Silver Ford Flex taken from this area.
The license plate is BVM574. Anyone with information is asked to contact DPD.
