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In Wake Of Infant Shooting, Inkster Mayor Seeks Assistance From County Sheriff

INKSTER (WWJ) -- A second person was charged with murder connected to the triple shooting in Inkster on Saturday.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy has charged Raphael Hearn, of Inkster, with first degree murder, assault with intent to murder and felony firearm in connection with the shooting that left 2-year-old Kamiya French dead.

In the wake of the shooting, the Mayor of the city of Inkster has renewed his call for assistance from the Wayne County Sheriff's Department. In fact, Mayor Hilliard Hampton said he would like such a move to become permanent.

"Tentatively, we could possibly save almost a million dollars," Hampton said. "It doesn't cost the county any additional money -- we would pay for the services. So, we're not talking about piggy-backing or utilizing dwindling county resources ourselves, we're talking about paying the fee through the Sheriff's Department."

Hampton, a retired Wayne County Sheriff's deputy, said that the move would emulate what has already been done in cities like Pontiac and Mount Clemens.

"With budget cutbacks, with revenue sharing cutbacks, with the tax base dwindling, I think makes sense for us to purge ourselves of all these various fiefdoms of law enforcement," Hampton said. "I think the most logical, and the quickest, way of doing this is with a county agency which already has jurisdiction over our communities."

Presently, Michigan State Police are partnering to support law enforcement in the city of Inkster.  A proposal requesting support from the Sheriff's Department is currently before the Wayne County Commission's public safety committee.

"We will continue to fight against acts of violence in this community," Hampton said. "This consolidation will have no negative effect on Wayne County budget, making the move a win-win for everyone involved."

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