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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Man robbed as he was leaving Flint bank
By Dominic Adams | dadams5@mlive.com
on October 03, 2012 at 6:30 PM, updated October 03, 2012 at 6:35 PM
FLINT, MI -- A man was hospitalized after he was robbed while leaving a Chase Bank on North Saginaw Street Monday, police said.
The man was leaving the bank about 8:30 a.m. when a man opened the door for him to leave and then approached the victim from the back, according to a Flint police report.
Police said the suspect placed a hard object to the victim's back and told him to give him all his money.
The victim gave the man about $800 in cash and the suspect then fled west across the street toward a restaurant, police said.
After the robbery, the victim began having chest pains and drove himself to the emergency room, police said.
- Dominic Adams is a police reporter for The Flint Journal. Contact him at dadams5@mlive.com or 810-241-8803. Follow him on Twitter or Facebook. |
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Wed Oct 03, 2012 6:46 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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State grants will help Genesee County Prosecutor's Office to maintain staffing levels
By Dominic Adams | dadams5@mlive.com
on October 02, 2012 at 7:28 PM, updated October 02, 2012 at 9:09 PM
FLINT, MI -- State funding will allow the Genesse County Prosecutor's Office to maintain its staffing levels and help fund drug enforcement in two other communities in the region.
Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said the two Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program grants for a combined $510,054 will replace two other grants that expired Monday.
The first grant is for $260,054 and replaces the grant that funded the south side task force, Leyton said. The second grant pays $250,000 and continues work that was funded by a Michigan State Police grant.
"It's replacing and extending existing grants so that our staffing will stay the same," Leyton said.
Lapeer County got $66,710 to help fund its participation in the Thumb Area Narcotics Unit, while Montrose Township received a $408,500 grant for its inclusion in the Flint Area Narcotics Group.
The Byrne JAG grants support all aspects of the criminal justice system, state officials said in a statement. This year's grant target multi-jurisdictional drug task forces.
"Protecting Michigan citizens is a top priority and these grants will go a long way toward combating drug abuse and violence across the state," Gov. Rick Snyder said in a statement. "This funding will help build stronger communities through an increased enforcement, prevention and treatment efforts throughout the criminal justice system."
- Dominic Adams is a police reporter for The Flint Journal. Contact him at dadams5@mlive.com or 810-241-8803. Follow him on Twitter or Facebook. |
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Thu Oct 04, 2012 12:53 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Per FPO two more were shot tonight, one critical, but the location is unclear.
One commenter stated he found the two hiding in his back yard from the shooters. He stated they told him they did not know the shooters who just began firing on them.
We need shot spotter. Some heard shots near Chevrolet and Welch. |
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Fri Oct 05, 2012 12:07 am |
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Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
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| Per FPO, 1500 block of Grand Traverse, 2 victims, one critical. also, a pistol whipping originally reported as a shooting in the 100 block of W. Ruth. Plus, a possible self inflicted gunshot to the head in the 4000 block of Manhall. Per a commenter on FPO, the gunshot was fatal. |
_________________
I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
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Fri Oct 05, 2012 6:27 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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quote:
Dave Starr schreef:
Per FPO, 1500 block of Grand Traverse, 2 victims, one critical. also, a pistol whipping originally reported as a shooting in the 100 block of W. Ruth. Plus, a possible self inflicted gunshot to the head in the 4000 block of Manhall. Per a commenter on FPO, the gunshot was fatal.
FPO later said the 1500 block of Grand Trave rse was unrelated to the shooting and was a domestic? Strange nightas several people reported they heard the fatal shots in different parts of the city. |
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Fri Oct 05, 2012 7:03 am |
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brianstarr
F L I N T O I D
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| well im betting that whatever money they had for the shotspotter program has probably been misspent and ended up lining peoples pockets at city hall or its been spent on payroll |
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Fri Oct 05, 2012 1:21 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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quote:
brianstarr schreef:
well im betting that whatever money they had for the shotspotter program has probably been misspent and ended up lining peoples pockets at city hall or its been spent on payroll
I agree. Also the 800 mhz 911 system is past due and just now is in the process of being implemented. i quess that is why we need the equivalent of 2 Police Chiefs! |
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Fri Oct 05, 2012 3:57 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Flint man indicted for alleged marijuana distribution conspiracy
By Gary Ridley | gridley@mlive.com
on October 05, 2012 at 5:00 PM
FLINT, MI -- A Flint man is facing federal charges after authorities allege he conspired to distribute more than 100 kilos of marijuana.
Rickey Edmund Raleigh, 32, was indicted in Flint federal district court Wednesday on the conspiracy charge.
He was also indicted on a charge that he aided and abetted the possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute.
Authorities say the conspiracy lasted through 2010, according to court records.
Raleigh was arraigned Wednesday by federal Magistrate Judge Michael J. Hluchaniuk. He pleaded not guilty to both charges.
Hluchaniuk agreed to release Raleigh on a $25,000 unsecured bond. |
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Fri Oct 05, 2012 6:59 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Genesee County Prosecutor's Office getting extra help from state
By David Harris | dharris5@mlive.com
on October 07, 2012 at 1:00 PM
GENESEE COUNTY, MI – The Genesee County Prosecutor's Office will be getting some help.
As part of Gov. Rick Snyder's public safety initiative for crime-ridden cities like Flint, up to three assistant attorneys general will be working in the prosecutor's office.
They will work there for two years and there will be no cost to the county, according to a memo.
"This is not a permanent solution to the staffing demands in this office," wrote Prosecutor David Leyton in the memo. "However, it is an opportunity for some temporary assistance."
The measure passed a Genesee County Commissioners committee earlier this week and will go in front of the full board on Wednesday.
The increased staffing is expected to help with the increased workload that has resulted from the influx of state troopers patrolling Flint. The governor allocated about $900,000 to fund the attorneys statewide.
The special assistant attorneys general will be hired jointly by the state and Leyton's office and will have a similar pay scale and experience-level compared to the existing assistant prosecutors, the memo reads.
County commissioner Omar Sims said the help is long overdue.
"That's one piece of the puzzle in the effort to combat crime," said Sims.
Leyton's office has been hit hard with budget cuts, going from a staff of 40 to 26, he said.
"We're doing the best we can with the amount of people that we have," Leyton said.
State money from Snyder's initiative also funded the reopening of the Flint city lockup that opened up earlier this week.
In addition to the increased state troopers and prosecutors, the governor's plan also includes more funding for the state crime lab and data technology for police departments, as well as help for Detroit, Saginaw and Lansing. |
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Sun Oct 07, 2012 5:20 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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33-year-old Flint man in critical condition following early morning shooting inside club
By Roberto Acosta | racosta1@mlive.com
on October 07, 2012 at 10:46 AM, updated October 07, 2012 at 10:47 AM
FLINT, MI -- A 33-year-old Flint man is in critical condition following a shooting early Sunday morning inside an after-hours club on East Pierson Road.
Police said Tyshaun Martice Gordon was shot on the dance floor of the Libra Lounge around 3:30 a.m. on Pierson near North Dort Highway.
Gordon was taken to Hurley Medical Center where he was listed in critical condition, according to police.
Witnesses contacted by police have not provided any suspect information, and investigators have no motive for the shooting.
The incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information may contact the Flint Police Department at 810-237-6800. |
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Sun Oct 07, 2012 5:24 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Flint police investigating homicide from Tuesday evening on Mary Street; second homicide on that street in as many weeks
By David Harris | dharris5@mlive.com
on October 10, 2012 at 5:38 AM
FLINT, MI -- Police say a 37-year-old man was shot to death around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday outside a home on Mary Street near King Avenue.
Michael D. Veal showed up at the hospital with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He was taken immediately into surgery and he later died, according to a press release.
There was no suspect information released.
It's the second homicide on that block in as many weeks. Darrius Robinson, 23, was shot and killed there on Oct. 3. It is unknown if the two are connected.
Anyone with information is asked to call Flint police at 810-237-6801 or CRIMESTOPPERS at 1-800-422-JAIL. |
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Wed Oct 10, 2012 6:45 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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With bullet scars and street swagger, Flint man captures attention of struggling youths
By Khalil AlHajal | kalhajal@mlive.com
on August 14, 2011 at 11:00 AM, updated August 14, 2011 at 6:13 PM
FLINT, Michigan — With the bullet scars, jail record and swagger to grab the attention of disillusioned youths in the nation's most violent city, Michael Veal is doing all he can to make up for lost time.
View full size(Emily-Rose Bennett | The Flint Journal)Michael Veal poses in front of a Dupont Street market where he was once shot during his darker days. With the bullet scars, jail record and swagger to grab the attention of disillusioned youths, Veal is doing all he can now to make up for lost time.
After serving a long stint in prison, he's resolved to make positive use of his street savvy.
Veal, 35, is dedicating his time and energy to Flint youths, trying to steer them away from the paths that once led him into trouble.
He's doing all he can to support something he once thought unthinkable - cooperation
with police.
Suffering his first gunshot wound at age 13, Veal had a rough start.
He'd be shot three more times in his life, but the worst moment of his troubled youth came when his brother died of gunshot wounds at the end of a police chase on Oct. 19, 1995.
Marlon Veal was shot to death after fleeing into a basement on West Paterson Street while being chased by two Flint police officers. An autopsy report determined that he shot himself, and was then shot multiple times by the officers, who authorities said thought Veal was shooting at them, according to Flint Journal files.
Authorities called the death a suicide, but the neighborhood and the family never believed that.
Neighbors kept after city officials to probe the incident.
Arthur A. Busch, county prosecutor at the time, considered an inquest into the death, then changed his mind, saying the officers, who were chasing Veal for alleged involvement in two earlier assaults, "acted well within" department guidelines in the use of deadly force to make an arrest.
"If anyone could have reason to dislike the police, it's me and my family, " said Michael Veal. "But my thing is for the streets to be safe for my grandmother to come out and get her mail."
He wants residents to be able to develop real relationships with police and play a role in preventing violence.
And he believes his voice is one of the few that can steer distrusting youths in that direction.
Veal's been speaking to teens at the Haskell Community Center through the Police Activities League, and at McKinley Middle School through a special program for troubled students.
"He's trying to come back and share his story with the youth, " said Jesse Carpenter, director of PAL and a Flint police officer.
"There's a lot of kids in this community who are walking in the shoes that he walked in," Carpenter said. "He's got things he'll never forget, but he's got things he wants to accomplish in this community. ... We still have officers that remember him. They're looking at him in a different light now."
Veal was convicted in 1999 of assault with intent to do great bodily harm after a large fight during an alcohol-free homecoming dance at Michigan State University, according to Flint Journal files and state records.
MSU basketball star Mateen Cleaves, a friend of Veal, was present during the fight but never faced any charges, according to Flint Journal files. The fight involved more than a dozen men. Three people were injured, including an off-duty Detroit police officer and a student who needed reconstructive surgery on his jaw after the fight.
"I had a fight on campus and got incarcerated, " Veal said. "I know what violence can lead to. You have to understand, a fight is breaking the law. A fight is violence. You don't realize that then."
The fight took away more than 10 years of life, and he said he believes a word with some of Flint's struggling youth can keep others from the same fate.
His felony conviction and status as a parolee stand in the way of him participating in some youth programs, but he won't be discouraged.
He's asking for mentoring opportunities with every organization he can find.
And sometimes he goes the direct route.
"I just walk up to youths and say 'Hey, can I get a minute of your time?' " Veal said. "I, too, hung on those streets. I know that it takes one ill-advised decision and your life could be changed forever."
He hopes to become involved in the city's Ceasefire program, an anti-crime strategy that in other cities has utilized ex-convicts to help reach offenders during interventions meant to turn lives around.
"For me to even be able to give my testimony, it's a privilege, because a lot of the young people I grew up with are no longer here, " Veal said.
Veal was shot four times in his youth, all nearby his childhood home on Grace Street near Dupont Street and Welch Boulevard.
"I participated in gang activity, and those are the results, " he said. "Young people making choices that we thought we were ready for. Children mimic what they see."
His brother's death made things worse.
"I started lashing out when I lost my brother, " he said. "At that point, I still didn't understand the significance of the dangers I was getting into."
He attributes his troubled past to pain, masked by anger.
"Now that I've evolved, I'm able to acknowledge that. It took some time and it took some tears, " he said.
"I have children coming up in these streets. I have to be certain and confident that when they're standing at the bus stop, that they're going to be safe."
Now he's turned his energy toward a goal he once never imagined, getting police and residents to trust each other and work together.
"A lot of our youth are afraid to be in contact with police, " Veal said. "My mission is to show that I can bridge the gap. ... Maybe if we had some people like that when Marlon was around, that wouldn't have happened."
In a session with a group of struggling teens in McKinley Middle School's Dare 2 Dream program earlier this year, students started off slumped down in their seats, reluctantly and inaudibly answering Veal's questions.
About 20 minutes in, they started shushing each other to hear what Veal was saying.
"Quiet man, " one said, nudging another. "He's talking." |
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Wed Oct 10, 2012 6:54 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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West Side Gangster Disciple grafitti along with RIP tributes to Marlon Veal were once prominent in the north end for years after Veal's death.
The death of Marlon Veal on Paterson Street nearly caused a riot on the street corner of Paterson and Dupont. Citizens were also alleging police brutality and excessive force especially from the African American oficers. |
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Wed Oct 10, 2012 6:59 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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February 15, 1999
Mateen Cleaves
The fortunes of Michigan State rise and fall with those of its star-crossed point guard, Mateen Cleaves, whose latest heroics have lifted the Spartans to No. 5
Michael Bamberger
"Mateen Cleaves is an All-America, probably an NBA player," Penn State coach Jerry Dunn said after the game. "When a game's on the line, blue-chip guys step up. That's Mateen. That's why he is who he is."
Cleaves, trained by his mother, took no responsibility for the shot. "God was with me. He carried the ball into the basket," he told reporters. Frances sat nearby in a plastic chair, watching, beaming.
His faith has not always been so unambiguous. In October 1995, when Cleaves was a senior at Flint Northern High, one of his closest friends, Marlon Veal, was shot dead by a Flint police officer during a foot chase. Veal was 18. Cleaves describes Veal as a good kid who did bad things, a curbside drug dealer who made maybe $300 a week. But if you didn't have a pair of basketball shoes or a ball to play with, he got you what you needed. At the funeral, when the preacher talked about God this and God that and Marlon's heavenly resting place, Cleaves's mind was drifting far away. "I thought he'd just jump out of the casket," Cleaves says. "He was always playing games."
For a long time Cleaves blamed the Flint police for Veal's death. A lot of people in Cleaves's neighborhood in Flint still feel that way. On the side of the vacant house in which Veal was killed, just a few blocks from the Cleaveses's family house, there is a spray-painted message RIP BRO. F—-THE PO-PO. For a long time Cleaves wrote the initials MV on the heel of each of his basketball shoes
.
Cleaves's roots in Flint are deep. One of his three tattoos reads FLINT. Another reads FRANCES. (Cleaves is also close to his father, Herbert, who lives in Flint, too, though his parents are divorced.)
The third tattoo reads GSP, for Grace Street Posse, the cadre of kids—Marlon Veal was among them—with whom Cleaves grew up on the north side of Flint. The Grace Street kids still figure in his life.
On Oct. 10, during homecoming weekend, Marlon Veal's brother, Michael, attended a dance in a Michigan State dormitory attended by 300 people, including Cleaves. No alcohol was served. Veal, who is 23, is not a Michigan State student, but he was not the only outsider there. An off-duty Detroit police officer attended the dance, too. During the party several fights broke out. The off-duty police officer used his pepper spray in an attempt to quell the fighting. In the melee his handgun disappeared. Campus police were called in to restore peace. No one was arrested, but the campus police conducted an investigation. Six weeks later, on Nov. 30, Veal was arrested and charged with assault for allegedly hitting a Michigan State student with a chair. At least one witness said Cleaves was a peacemaker during the fights. At least one other said Cleaves punched the off-duty police officer. Cleaves and Veal declined to discuss the incident. Frances had only one tiling to say about it: "If Michael did what they say he did, then he misrepresented our neighborhood." That, naturally, would disappoint her. Still, she prays for him.
The fourth paragraph in a news story about Veal's arrest in the Dec. 1 edition of the Lansing State Journal read, "Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III said others may be charged." Neither Cleaves nor the people around him knew what to expect. On Dec. 2, against Duke, Cleaves had one of the worst games of his college career. Soon after, at the suggestion of his mother, he stopped writing MV on his basketball shoes.
"Mateen has to realize he's the most visible athlete at MSU, maybe in all of Michigan," says Izzo. A year ago, East Lansing police arrested Cleaves on a misdemeanor charge of possession of alcohol by a minor, which in this case was an unopened can of beer. Izzo came up with a punishment he thought fit the crime: He benched his guard for half a game. (Cleaves also paid a court-ordered fine and did community service.) Izzo says Cleaves should be allowed to lead the normal life of a college student. "Mateen did nothing wrong at that dance," Izzo says. "I'm not going to stop a kid from going to an on-campus, nondrinking party. He's just got to be careful. I told him he's got to watch who he hangs with. But that doesn't mean you forget the people you've known all your life."
After the loss to Duke, and the loss to Connecticut three days later, the Spartans were 4-3 and sinking fast in the polls. They won their next seven games against un-ranked opponents, but on Jan. 6 they lost a Big Ten game, to Wisconsin, which was ranked 24th at the time. Then came the game that turned Michigan State's season around. On Jan. 9, on a Saturday night in East Lansing, Michigan State played Michigan. The Spartans were celebrating the 20th anniversary of the 1978-79 national championship team. Magic Johnson, the kingpin of that team, was in the house. Breslin was shaking. Cleaves was warming up when somebody approached him and said, "Earvin wants to see you, right away." Cleaves ran off the court and met Johnson, who got right to the point. "I've been watching some of your games," he said. "It looks like you're not having any fun."
"I think I'm trying too hard," Cleaves said. |
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Wed Oct 10, 2012 7:11 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| Marlon Veal was on trial for the beating of a girl. She fell in the snow and he struck her with a shovel. She required a colostomy. The police were searching for him because Marlon allegedly shot a girl through a window becaause she refused to date him. |
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Wed Oct 10, 2012 7:15 am |
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