The Voice of Downriver ■ North Zone Edition

Southgate, Michigan 48195 Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Downriver

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HIGH: 75˚

Very warm with some sunshine

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By Jim KasubaThe News-Herald

WYANDOTTE — An armed robbery in Southgate early yesterday morning resulted in the arrest of two people outside a house in the 2200 block of Electric, just north of Walnut.

Thomas Coombs, Southgate’s director of public safety, said the Downriver SWAT team was called in after police learned the suspects were at the house, where one of them is believed to reside.

Because neither of the suspects had been charged as of press time yesterday, Coombs said he was limited as to how much information he could divulge, other than that those arrested were a man and a woman who are believed to have been involved in the holdup of a Southgate resident at about 4:45 a.m. outside a house in the 14000 block of Irene.

Coombs said the victim, a man, lives on that street. He said it’s possible that the victim, who was not injured, knew one or both suspects.

“A preliminary inves-tigation led officers to Wyandotte,” Coombs said. “The SWAT team attempted to use its armored vehicle by announcing who they were and commanding the suspects to come out.”

Coombs said the commands to surrender were made over a public address system. When officers got no response, they broke out a window and delivered a telephone those inside, but still did not get a response.

The final step was for members of the SWAT team to force open the house’s side door, at which point both sus-pects came out and surrendered to police.

Coombs could not say whether police recovered a weap-on. A handgun was allegedly used in the robbery.

Wyandotte Police Chief Daniel Grant said the male sus-pect is 21 years old. The other person arrested, the man’s girlfriend, is a 26-year-old Woodhaven resident.

Grant said that as of yesterday afternoon a third suspect was still at large, but police believe they know where to find him.

The pair is expected to be arraigned today at 28th District Court in Southgate.

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SWAT team arrests pair suspected of armed robbery

HOLIDAY LIGHT SHOW

MNS photo by David L. Malhalab

Wayne County Lightfest is coming Nov. 15 to Dec. 31, except for Christmas Day, to Edward Hines Drive and county workers are already laying out and putting up the light display frames. Lightfest is the Midwest’s longest drive-through holiday light display, featuring four miles of colorful lights with a fee of $5 per car for viewing. Entry is off Merriman Road, between Ann Arbor Trail and Warren Avenue in Westland, and ends in Dearborn Heights, where Santa will meet and greet everyone. A grand opening event is scheduled for 6 p.m. Nov. 15 at Hines Park–Merriman Hollow Area, in Westland, featuring a sneak preview with music, refreshments and a fireworks display.

Department given second extension on SAFER grantBy Dave HerndonThe News-Herald

ALLEN PARK — Whether or not to accept a $1.28 mil-lion federal fire safety grant is in flux again after the city was given a second 30-day extension to decide.

The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant is adminis-tered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency

The deadline had been the close of business Monday; the new deadline is Nov. 21.

On. Oct. 17, the city accepted the grant with the condition that the union representing its firefighters sign a memo of understand-ing that it would lower daily minimum staffing from seven to five.

Union Vice President Craig Hickey said yesterday that the union can’t approve such a memo without risk-ing opening the entire con-tract.

“They are only interested in getting rid of us,” he said. “If we open our contract to change the minimum staffing, that opens it up for anything else, as well. I can’t take that back to my mem-bership. Their lawyer keeps telling us that he will gut us if we open the contract.”

The grant would be used to hire six additional fire-fighters, giving the depart-ment 29 employees. The contract calls for the depart-ment to have at least 28, a number that hasn’t been realized since March 2010.

The city was ordered by a Wayne County Circuit Court judge earlier this year to hire enough people to get

By J. Patrick PepperThe News-Herald

WOODHAVEN — A court hearing for a man accused of throwing a kitten out of a car was adjourned in 33rd District Court yesterday and rescheduled.

Judge Jennifer Coleman Hesson granted a motion to adjourn and rescheduled a preliminary examination of the evidence against Fraser resident Justin Coppola for 1:30 p.m. Nov. 20.

Court officials said the adjournment was requested because there was no equip-ment at the courthouse capable of playing an audio recording that was to be presented as evidence. It’s not clear what is on the recording.

Coppola’s attorney, Dana Nessel, said the adjourn-ment was “discovery related,” but declined to elaborate.

Hesson continued

Coppola’s $50,000/10 percent bond and also granted him permission to attend his brother’s hockey tourna-ment in Chicago early next month.

Coppola, 20, was arrested Oct. 4 after an off-duty Taylor police officer reported watching him try to run over a kitten in the Woodhaven Meijer parking lot.

Exam rescheduled in alleged abuse of kitten

Photo by J. Patrick Pepper

Justin Coppola and attor-ney Dana Nessel stand before 33rd District Judge Jennifer Coleman Hesson yesterday.

PLEASE SEE GRANT/2-A

PLEASE SEE EXAM/2-A

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