On September 4, two suspects, at least one of whom was armed, attempted to hijack a man’s truck in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. All it took for their plan to backfire was for their would-be victim to buck up and back up.
WJBK reported that at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday, the victim pulled into his driveway, near the intersection of Beech Daly and McDonald Street. One of two suspects approached the parked vehicle and allegedly attempted to steal the vehicle and the man’s belongings.
Fearing for his life, the victim threw the truck into reverse and veered out of his driveway. According to police, the would-be carjacker came along for the ride, only he was riding outside and under.
Having later heard that the suspect had been dragged by the truck and seen the tire marks on the lawn, the victim’s neighbor Lashawnda Miles told WJBK she was “glad no one else got hurt.”
Man runs down carjacker in his driveway, escapes in hail of gunfire youtu.be
The second suspect, who can be seen at the end of the driveway in the surveillance footage made available by TCD Dearborn, took aim at the victim, fired four shots, and then fled the scene. No one, including the victim, was struck by the shots, although one bullet clipped a window across the street.
The failed carjacker was taken to hospital and remains in critical condition. The shooter is still at large.
In a reversal of roles elsewhere in the state that same day, a suspected carjacker nearly drove over Detroit police officers. The suspect, driving an SUV that had been reported stolen, had backed into a police car. He then drove over another police car, narrowly missing an officer “who had to roll out of the path of the hurtling large SUV.” Police opened fire on the stolen vehicle, which they later recovered.
In Detroit, carjackings are up 40% since last year. Detroit is not, however, alone. The entire state has seen an increase in motor vehicle thefts.
In 2021, there were 21,909 reported motor vehicle thefts across Michigan, an increase of 13.6% over 2020.
After the release of the 2021 Crime in Michigan Report last Thursday, the Michigan Republican Party issued a statement criticizing Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for being “weak on crime” and for “fail[ing] to focus on keeping our neighborhoods safe.”
According to Neighborhood Scout, the chances of becoming a victim of a violent crime in the Democrat-run state are 1 in 212, and the chances of becoming a victim of a property crime are 1 in 74.