Firearm discharged during fleeing and eluding arrest in Royal Oak

ROYAL OAK — A 46-year-old Holly woman was arrested Dec. 15 following an incident where she allegedly fled from police and endangered an officer, leading to that officer discharging a firearm.

According to a Royal Oak Police Department press release, the incident occurred at 1:08 a.m. Dec. 15. A Royal Oak police officer began to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation near Crooks and West 14 Mile roads.

The vehicle, a 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe that police said was driven by the Holly woman, fled the scene. Police engaged the vehicle in a pursuit, which drove westbound along West 14 Mile Road toward Coolidge Highway and turned north into Troy.

The Tahoe made its way to eastbound Big Beaver Road, where Royal Oak police were able to deploy spike strips near the road’s intersection with Crooks. While the strips caused the vehicle to lose multiple tires, the Tahoe continued to flee to southbound Interstate 75 with one wheel “down to its brake rotors.”

“The suspect continued to flee along southbound I-75, eventually exiting at McNichols Rd. and proceeding westbound,” the press release states. “Upon reaching Woodward Ave, the suspect vehicle turned northbound and attempted to turn suddenly onto eastbound 7 Mile Rd, crashing into a vehicle stopped at the signal.”

An officer approached the vehicle and tried to take the suspect into custody, but, according to the press release, she ignored his orders.

“The suspect then attempted to flee again, causing her vehicle to fishtail and place the officer’s life in immediate jeopardy,” the press release states. “As a result, a Royal Oak Police officer discharged his firearm into the vehicle. The driver continued to flee officers, before coming to a stop at 7 Mile Rd and John R, where she was quickly arrested without incident.”

The woman and her 24-year-old son, who also was in the vehicle, were not harmed in the incident, police said. The police officer also was not injured.

Royal Oak Police Lt. Al Carter could not be reached for comment before press time.

The investigation, conducted by Michigan State Police and the Royal Oak Police Department, was ongoing last week. The department asked that anyone with information about the incident call Royal Oak police at (248) 246-3500.