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Officers tackle shooting suspect on roof of minivan after long chase through Detroit

Man tackled in middle of oncoming traffic on I-75

DETROIT – A chase through the streets of Detroit came to a heart-stopping conclusion Friday in the middle of I-75 as the driver rushed into oncoming traffic before being taken down by police on top of a minivan.

Police said they were chasing the driver of a charcoal gray SUV because he shot a woman in the head in Southwest Detroit.

Sky 4 was in the air as the man drove the SUV on and off the highway, maneuvering through traffic on I-75, service streets and back roads.

There were times when the driver appeared to be trapped by the several police vehicles in pursuit, but he left the roadway multiple times to avoid capture -- once driving on the front lawn of a home to get around traffic stopped at a red light, and later driving over the center of a boulevard on Third Street to avoid a blockade.

WATCH: Officers tackle shooting suspect on roof of minivan in middle of Detroit interstate

At some point, the SUV's front driver-side tire was flattened, and he started losing speed on I-75. As police vehicles surrounded the slowing SUV, the shooting suspect pulled over on the left shoulder and parked.

He threw open the driver's door, got out and jumped over the center median. As police officers got out of their vehicles, the man ran into oncoming traffic on the other side of the freeway. He stopped as a blue minivan approached and tried to hurdle it, instead falling on the hood.

The man climbed onto the roof of the minivan and was surrounded by six police officers. One police officer charged up the front of the minivan, grabbed the shooting suspect and tackled him to the ground behind the minivan.

You can see a slow-motion video of the tackle sequence here:

The man was wrestled to the ground by a group of police officers and taken into custody.

Minivan driver shaken up

The driver of the minivan is still shaken up. He works as a technician for a company, and was headed to do a job when the chase suspect jumped on the hood of the minivan and climbed onto the roof.

"I really thought it was going to be a shooting or something," witness Tamara Trotter said.

The driver of the minivan didn't want to be identified, but he described the moment when the shooting suspect came running toward him.

"I saw a guy jump from one side of the road to the other side, and at that point, I didn't know what to do," he said. "I was so scared."

The video shows an officer jumping on top of the van to arrest the suspect.

"At one point, I had a party on top of the roof of my car," the minivan driver said.

He said he's grateful nobody was hurt in the intense police chase.

"It's been like something in the movies or the news, but I'd never really seen something like that," he said.

Man suspected in Southwest Detroit shooting

The chase ended on I-75, but it all started with a shooting in Southwest Detroit a couple of days ago.

"Our homicide detectives were able to identify who the suspect was in the incident," Detroit police Deputy Chief David LeValley said.

Police said he shot a woman in the head, leaving her in "grave and very critical condition."

Police said the woman died overnight Friday.

Officers first tried to arrest the man Friday morning, but he got away, and officers caught up with him again for the 45-minute chase.

"(The chase went) through most of the west side and Downtown, and ultimately, ended with him being taken into custody," LeValley said.

"It just turns nuts because you have no idea what to do in those situations," Trotter said.

Now the man will face charges. Police aren't releasing his name or any other information until the charges are officially handed down.

You can watch the entire video of the chase from Sky 4 below:


About the Authors
Koco McAboy headshot

Koco joined the Local 4 News team in September of 2016. She was born and raised in Metro Detroit, attended Central Michigan University, and previously worked at WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids.

Derick Hutchinson headshot

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.

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