Detroit man charged in injury of Eastpointe police officer

EASTPOINTE — A man who allegedly injured a police officer during a traffic stop has now been charged with assault and other felonies.

Arron Trotter, 23, of Detroit, was arraigned before Magistrate Mark Makoski at the 38th District Court in Eastpointe Feb. 27. His bond was set at $1 million, cash or surety only. Trotter was charged with one count of assaulting/resisting/obstructing a police officer causing serious impairment, which is a 15-year felony, and one count of assaulting/resisting/obstructing a police officer, a two-year felony.

He was also charged with four counts of felony firearm, a mandatory two-year felony; one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, a five-year felony; one count of possession of ammunition by a prohibited person, a five-year felony; one count of possession of a controlled substance, a two-year felony; and one count of carrying a concealed weapon, a five-year felony.

If Trotter posts bond, he will be required to wear a GPS tether, be confined to his home and prohibited from leaving the state, using drugs or alcohol or weapons, or contacting any witnesses. Trotter was also referred to Community Corrections for a mental health assessment.

At press time, Trotter did not have an attorney on file, according to court records.

The incident occurred at around 8:30 p.m. Feb. 25, when officers made a traffic stop on a vehicle for excessive window tint in the area of Gratiot and Evergreen avenues. Prior to the vehicle stopping, the officer observed the driver and a passenger moving around in the vehicle.

Once stopped, the driver was detained on an outstanding warrant for his arrest, police said, and the officers called for the vehicle to be impounded.

However, when the officers asked Trotter, the passenger, to exit the vehicle, he was allegedly defensive with officers, who observed him holding onto the right side of his pants.

Trotter reportedly said he was holding onto his phone, and when asked for his ID, he allegedly appeared nervous. Trotter was going to be cited for failing to properly wear his seatbelt, and police said he struggled to spell his own name.

When told to place his hands behind his back, Trotter allegedly kept his right hand in his pocket and began to put his left hand into his pocket, as well. Officers reportedly tried to control him and place him under arrest, but he fought back, police said.

In the ensuing struggle, one of the police officers was seriously injured. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment, where he was to require surgery.

As for Trotter, officers allegedly found a fully loaded .380 handgun in his pants pocket where his hand had been prior. Officers also recovered several baggies of Suboxone.

“We are very proud of the job our officers do on a daily basis, and in this situation, we are very thankful that they were able to gain control of the suspect before his gun was used to harm them or someone else,” Eastpointe Police Chief Corey Haines said in a prepared statement.

In a separate statement, Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said the incident illustrates the perils faced by those in law enforcement.

“Resisting arrest is not just an act of defiance — it endangers the lives of those sworn to protect us,” Lucido stated. “Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every single day, facing unpredictable and often dangerous situations to uphold justice and keep our communities safe. We will pursue justice to the fullest extent of the law.”