Walter Tylicki, 50, a Huron Township resident and police chief of the Walbridge Police Department in Ohio, committed suicide near the border of Huron and Brownstown Township Tuesday. Photo courtesy Huron Township Police Department.

By Scott Bolthouse
Hub Editor
ScottBolthouse@HuronHub.com

Updated 11 p.m. Tuesday, July 11

Walter Tylicki, a Huron Township resident and police chief of the Walbridge Police Department in Ohio, committed suicide near the border of Huron and Brownstown Township Tuesday.

Tylicki, 50, was located at 2:30 p.m. near King Road, east of Inkster, after a family member asked Huron Township police to do a well-being check after they hadn’t heard from him since the evening of July 10, police said Tuesday evening.

“My prayers and condolences got out to Mr. Tylicki’s family and co-workers. One thing that was very clear is that he was very much loved by his family and well respected by those that worked for and with him,” said Public Safety Director Everette Robbins.

Police initially tracked Tylicki’s cell phone in an attempt to obtain his location.

A search was then set up near King and Inkster Roads with assistance from the Detroit Police Department Aviation Unit. Assistance was also requested from the Michigan State Police K9 division to assist the Huron Township Police Department K9 unit.

After several hours searching, Tylicki’s body was found in a wooded area.

Based on jurisdictional boundaries, the death investigation was handled by the Brownstown Police Department.

The Walbridge Police Department posted a statement on their Facebook page about Tylicki’s death late Tuesday evening.

“Chief Tylicki has served the citizens of Walbridge as both an Officer and a Chief for many years now,” the post said. “He has led our officers with enthusiasm and pride and will be greatly missed. His leadership had a tremendous impact on our officers and we were proud to have him as our Chief, and our friend.”

Photo courtesy Walbridge Police Facebook.

Residents in Huron who noticed the localized police activity took to social media, and a false statement was spread which claimed that police were looking for two armed and dangerous men.

Robbins said that a panic was caused in the township due to the false social media report.

“There was unfortunately a false, irresponsible and quite frankly a disappointing social media report circulating that our department was looking for two armed and dangerous males,” he said.

“This is false and was never the case. It unfortunately caused a lot of fear and panic throughout the community. The community has my word that there was never a danger to the community, and if there had been any danger, I can assure everyone that they would have heard it directly from us and not from a made-up report on social media. What residents in the area observed was an all-out effort by law enforcement to attempt to save the life of one of our residents.”

The Huron Township Police Department encourages residents to follow their Facebook Page, as well as signing up for Nixle.com, to get the latest emergency public safety updates.

By Scott Bolthouse—Hub Editor
ScottBolthouse@HuronHub.com

Two Huron Township residents died late Wednesday evening in a rollover crash that occurred on Hannan Road, west of Huron River Drive.

Huron Township emergency personnel responded to the scene just after 11 p.m. and found Kristopher Lashlee, 42, and Theresa Lashlee, 39, deceased.

Public Safety Director Everette Robbins said the vehicle they were in was traveling at a high rate of speed going westbound on Hannan Road when the crash occurred.

Only one passenger in the vehicle was wearing a seatbelt, and alcohol–as well as speed–appear to be contributing factors in the crash, Robbins said.

“My thoughts and prayers go out to their entire family. It was apparent in talking to them last night that Theresa and Kristopher were loved and will truly be missed,” he said.

The Michigan State Police accident reconstruction team was requested by Huron police and responded to the crash scene to assist with the investigation, which remains ongoing.

By Scott Bolthouse—Hub Editor
ScottBolthouse@HuronHub.com

Three people are in stable condition after the car they were driving in veered off the roadway and struck a tree on Bell Road south of South Huron on Saturday.

Alcohol or drugs, as well as speeding, appear to be a factor in the crash, Public Safety Director Everette Robbins said.

When emergency personnel responded to the scene at about 2 p.m., they found a 39-year-old man and his two sons, 16 and 10, pinned inside of the car.

After firefighters used the jaws of life to extract the children from the car, the 16-year-old passenger was transported to University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor using a life flight helicopter.

The driver and his other son were also transported to the same hospital.

“Our prayers are with the two young boys. This could have had a much worse ending,” Robbins said.

“It is very fortunate that our first responders were on the scene quickly. They train for situations like this and acted quickly which may have saved a life.”

Michigan State Police accident reconstruction team assisted at the scene and the crash is still under investigation.

By Scott Bolthouse—Hub Editor
ScottBolthouse@HuronHub.com

A 911 call reporting a break-in and a person being held at gunpoint Friday morning in Huron Township turned out to be false, according to police.

At 6:47 a.m., a resident living in the 27000 block of Bluebird Drive called 911 and said that a family member was being held at gunpoint by a person who had just broken into her house.

Public Safety Director Everette Robbins says that Huron police responded to the home in emergency fashion with the mutual aid of Sumpter police, Metropark police, and Flat Rock police.

When officers made entry into the house, all residents inside were found safe and it was revealed that no home invasion had happened.

“We want to get the word out to our residents as soon as possible that your neighborhood is safe. I have received multiple calls from residents, and rightfully so, that were frightened by the police response. We took this call seriously at all times and responded accordingly to the information that we had at the times,” Robbins said.

No weapons were found during a search of the home, and the incident remains under investigation.

It appears to police that a family member misinterpreted a conversation with another resident inside of the house.

Robbins said that extra patrol officers on duty this morning in the township assisted regular patrol staff during the call.

“Any way that we have the ability to have more officers on patrol and available in an emergency situation benefits the entire community,” he said.

“We appreciate the great working relationship we have with our area police departments and thank them for the assistance. We are thankful that this incident was not as reported, but if it had been, the response of our neighboring jurisdictions would have been crucial to a safe outcome.”

47-year-old Darien Fickling. Photo courtesy of Huron Township Police Department.

By Scott Bolthouse—Hub Editor
ScottBolthouse@HuronHub.com

47-year-old Darien Fickling of Romulus is being charged with multiple felonies after he allegedly attacked and attempted to rape a 26-year-old woman while she jogged alone on a trail at Oakwoods Metropark in Huron Township Tuesday afternoon.

View the original story first reported by the Huron Hub here

Fickling is being charged by the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office with kidnapping–a potential life sentence–unarmed robbery, which carries a 15-year sentence, and criminal sexual conduct, assault with intent to commit sexual penetration.

It is alleged that Fickling surprised the woman by attacking her from behind and striking her several times in the face before knocking her to the ground about one mile north of Will Carleton Road on the trail.

Fickling allegedly told the woman that he was going to kill her and then attempted to sexually assault her.

The woman was able to fight him off and run for help in the 28000 block of South Huron, where police responded at about 3 p.m. after a call came into Huron Township dispatch reporting the assault.

Fickling was arrested by Metropark police about a half-hour later on a trail inside of Oakwoods.

The prosecutor’s office released his name and pending charges Wednesday afternoon, and an arraignment in court is expected Thursday.

By Scott Bolthouse—Hub Editor
ScottBolthouse@HuronHub.com

From left: Fire Chief James Hinojosa; Public Safety Director Everette Robbins; Cpl. Duane Griffis; Officer Keith Nappo; Deputy Chief Mark Perkins; Cpt. Bradley Bauman. Photos courtesy of Huron Valley Ambulance.

Huron Valley Ambulance (HVA) was proud to present Officer Keith Nappo of the Huron Township Police Department with a life-saving award for his heroic actions on July, 19, 2016. Also honored were Corporal Duane Griffis of HTPD and Captian Bradley Bauman of HTFD for their heroic actions on April 22, 2016. The awards were presented at HVAs annual Emergency Medical Service Awards Dinner May 23.

On the evening of July 19, 2016, Officer Nappo and his partner were dispatched to Willow Road at the I-275 overpass in New Boston for a call involving a suicidal person. Upon his arrival, the man was found sitting on the overpass railing with his legs dangling above traffic on southbound I-275.

Related: Huron Township police officers commended for talking suicidal man down from freeway overpass

Officer Nappo recognized the man as a person he had interacted with in the past. On a previous incident, he had taken the time to speak with the man regarding some recent hardships going on in his life. The man advised Officer Nappo that he was contemplating jumping from the railing onto the freeway. Officer Nappo used his rapport with the man to convince him to step down from the railing to safety; he was also able to convince the man to seek a medical evaluation.

Police officers regularly find themselves in situations where they deal with people in their lowest moments. The time Officer Nappo spent listening to the man in the past more than likely save his life that day.

On April 22, 2016, the Huron Township Police Department Dispatch Operations Center received a 911 call from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department in regards to a potential murder/suicide possibly taking place at the Michigan Memorial Park Cemetery near Flat Rock. A woman had kidnapped her sister from a nursing home and planned to push her sister into the Huron River and then jump into the river after her.

Related: Police officers, firemen commended for preventing possible murder-suicide at Michigan Memorial Cemetery

Corporal Griffis was dispatched to the incident and was met by other officers from HTPD as well as officers from HTFD including Captain Bauman. Upon arrival to the scene, first responders found one woman in the river; she was submerged up to her neck and in immediate danger. Corporal Griffis immediately climbed down a large ledge and onto the wet rocks along the river’s edge; he was able to hold the woman’s hand keeping her safe until additional help arrived. The river’s edge was made of large jagged rocks, and the river levels were high with a very swift current. Corporal Griffis acted without regard to his own life as he bravely took the necessary actions to save the life of another.

When Captain Bauman arrived at the scene, he immediately initiated an action plan using two ladders from the fire engine to rescue the woman in the river. Captain Bauman entered the river to secure the woman in a manner that would keep her from sustaining further injury. Captain Bauman, Corporal Griffis and other members of HTFD worked as a team to lift the woman from the water, up the ledge on the river’s edge and ultimately to safety. Captain Bauman’s ability to assess the situation and quickly come up with a plan of action was instrumental in saving this woman’s life.

Source: Huron Valley Ambulance