By Scott Bolthouse | The Huron Hub
ScottBolthouse@HuronHub.com
Posted Monday, Oct. 28, 2019

A 21-year-old Detroit man was arrested Saturday after he evaded police during a two-mile-long chase, after which police found an AR-15 rifle, ammunition, and a bulletproof vest in his truck.

At 10:50 a.m., police running radar patrol on I-275 south near Sibley Road observed a silver Dodge pickup truck traveling southbound in the center lane at a high rate of speed while passing other vehicles.

The officer’s radar clocked the driver’s speed at 100 mph.

When the officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop, he observed the truck attempt to evade him while he was traveling in the left lane on the freeway.

The driver then cut across all three lanes of traffic and exited at South Huron Road.

The driver exited the freeway at speeds over 70 mph, running the stop sign at the end of the exit ramp and turning left, going back over the bridge toward the Metropark and northbound I-275 entrance ramp.

The officer then observed the vehicle turn left onto the northbound I-275 entrance ramp at a high rate of speed and head north on I-275.

The officer continued the pursuit on northbound I-275 when he observed the truck pull over onto the right shoulder just north of the Sibley Road overpass.

While pursuing the driver, the vehicles reached speeds of 90-100 mph for a total of two miles.

Once the vehicle was stopped and the suspect was taken into custody, officers found a black AR-15 rifle under the driver’s side rear seat that was not in a case.

Michigan law states rifles and other firearms must be unloaded in both barrel and magazine and enclosed in a case or carried in the trunk of a vehicle.

If you have a CPL, then you can carry a loaded pistol inside the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle.

A search of the vehicle also revealed an AR-15 magazine with rounds loaded into the clip along with a box of ammunition in the driver side door pocket.

Also recovered under the rear seat next to the rifle was a black colored ballistic bulletproof vest.

“While we will may never know this person’s true intentions or what type of crime was averted, it is clear that this is the positive effect that proactive policing can have on a community. This officer’s proactive traffic enforcement resulted in the seizure of a dangerous weapon and a bulletproof vest,” said Everette Robbins, director of public safety.

The Detective Bureau, Traffic Services Unit and K9 Unit assisted in the investigation, Robbins said.

Felony charges were submitted to the Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the investigation is ongoing.

Article updated