WARREN, Mich. – A man has pleaded no contest after being charged with violently attacking the home of a family of Black veterans in what Warren police called a racially motivated assault.
Michael John Frederick Jr., 24, pleaded no contest to 9 charges on Tuesday, July 6 after being accused of firing shots into a Warren family’s home last September in addition to slashing their tires, smashing a window and vandalizing their vehicle with a swastika, expletives and the words “not welcome.”
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Following his arrest last year, Frederick was charged with the following crimes:
- Discharging a weapon in/at a building -- 2 counts
- Felon in possession of a firearm -- 2 counts
- Ethnic intimidation -- 3 counts
- Malicious destruction of a building, costing between $1,000 - $20,000
- Malicious destruction of property, costing between $200 - $1,000
Frederick confessed to hate crimes against Warren residents Candace and Eddie Hall last September after police had canvassed the neighborhood for a week searching for him. Amid a thorough investigation, Warren police said a confidential informant led police to a home on Carrier Avenue, where they found Frederick as well as the clothing, mask and shoes seen in surveillance footage of the attack.
Warren police believe it was the Halls’ “Black Lives Matter” sign that set off Frederick, who lives around the corner from the veterans. In court last October, Frederick said he was “regretful” of what he did, and that he wanted the Hall family to forgive him.
However, video of Frederick being taken into custody after an exhaustive manhunt captured him smiling.
The Halls lived outside of their Warren home for weeks following the attack, finally returning home at the end of November. The family said last year that they want justice, but also forgive Frederick for what he did.
Frederick is expected to be sentenced by a judge on Aug. 16.
The man’s father, Michael Frederick Sr., 52, is also facing several felony charges in connection with the attack, including one count of accessory after the fact and one count of tampering with evidence.
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