Suspect In Custody After High Speed Police Chase In Detroit
DETROIT (WWJ) - A 39-year-old Detroit man is now in custody after leading police on a high-speed chase through the streets of Detroit.
The chase started around 7:20 a.m. Friday, after the suspect assaulted a police officer on foot. Southfield police say the officer was trying to question the driver about stealing items from cars when he was assaulted. Investigators say the driver, a suspect in over a dozen break-ins of automobiles in several cities, then rammed a police cruiser before speeding away.
Police cruisers began chasing the suspect's black Ford Taurus near 6 Mile and Telegraph roads. At least 15 police cars, marked and unmarked, were chasing the suspect at one point.
Footage from WWJ Chopper 950 showed the suspect's car speeding down neighborhood streets. At one point, the suspect got onto the Southfield Freeway and sped past several cars before exiting and driving down the service drive to about 8 Mile Road.
PHOTOS: High-Speed Chase Ends In Arrest
The suspect stopped the car twice and appeared to run away from the vehicle, before he turned around, got back into the car and continued to drive away. The suspect also drove through the Sherwood Forest neighborhood by Woodward and 8 Mile Road, at several times driving up on the sidewalks.
Police held off following the suspect through the neighborhood due to safety concerns, but once the suspect appeared again on main roads, the chase was on. During the chase, police unsuccessfully tried ramming the suspect's vehicle several times in an attempt to get him to stop.
Just before 7:40 a.m., police were able to slow the suspect down near Livernois Avenue and Norfolk Street, about one block south of 8 Mile Road. Several police cruisers rammed into the suspect's vehicle, trapping the suspect, as other officers surrounded the vehicle with weapons drawn.
At that time, the suspect was ambushed by a mob of officers, who pulled the suspect from the car, knocked him to the ground and placed him in handcuffs.
"We removed him from the car and we handcuffed him. There was a little resistance, but not much, and we've taken him back to our station," said Southfield Police Sgt. Tim Barr.
Barr said investigators also recovered bags of what are believed to be stolen items in the suspect's vehicle.
As officers were restraining the suspect, others were seen cheering and throwing their fists into the air as they rushed the scene. At least one officer flashed a "thumbs-up" sign to a helicopter that was following the chase from above.
No one was injured during the incident. The suspect's identity was not immediately released.
Detroit police were assisted by officers from the Southfield Police Department. Some officers even joined the chase in their personal vehicles.
An investigation is ongoing.
The situation is developing. Stay with WWJ Newsradio 950 and CBSDetroit.com for the latest.
