Woman charged with multiple felonies in Royal Oak vehicle chase

ROYAL OAK — A woman who reportedly fled from police has been charged with multiple felonies.

Veronica Shane McClain, a 46-year-old Holly resident, was arrested for her alleged actions in an incident with police Dec. 15.

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

The vehicle, a 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe, fled the scene and police engaged it in a pursuit. At one point, the Tahoe made its way to eastbound Big Beaver Road, where police deployed spike strips near the road’s intersection with Crooks. The strips caused the vehicle to lose multiple tires, but it continued to flee to southbound Interstate 75 with one wheel worn down to its brake rotor.

“The suspect continued to flee along southbound I-75, eventually exiting at McNichols Rd. and proceeding westbound,” the Royal Oak Police Department’s initial press release on the incident 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.”

Once the vehicle came to a stop, Royal Oak Police Lt. Al Carter stated, officers exited their vehicle and ordered McClain out of the Tahoe. Carter said she attempted to flee again, and when she did, the rear of her vehicle fishtailed and hit one of the officers, pushing him into the car that she initially hit at the intersection.

“At that point, the officer ended up shooting at the vehicle, too, because it’s justified in that sense of his life was endangered for being struck by her vehicle, as she’s been ordered to stop and to exit her vehicle and she continued to flee at that point,” Carter said.

McClain’s vehicle proceeded a little farther down the road before coming to a stop. She was taken into custody, along with her 24-year-old son, who was the only passenger in the vehicle. He later was released and not charged in the incident. Neither McClain nor her son were injured, police said.

Because an officer’s weapon was discharged in the incident, Michigan State Police have undertaken an investigation of the shooting. Carter said Royal Oak police haven’t received an update on the investigation, but that the officer involved has returned to active duty.

“He’s not placed on leave due to the fact that there was no wrongdoing up to this point,” he said. “The investigation obviously is being done by Michigan State Police. So … with the video from the vehicle … there’s no discrepancy or anything like that of any type of wrongdoing. So he wouldn’t be placed on leave at that point.”

Carter said McClain had active warrants for her arrest — including one for unlawfully driving away an automobile, a felony — which police believe led to her fleeing.

McClain’s attorney, Danien Woodson, stated that the case still is unfolding and said that once everything unfolds, people will see that there is a story behind what’s being portrayed right now.

“She’s a victim as well,” she said. “I think it’s important to make that known. She was shot at, and she was unarmed the entire time. So I do think that that is important.”

McClain has been charged with one count of third-degree fleeing and eluding, one count of malicious destruction of police property, and one count of resisting and obstructing a police officer, all three of which are felonies. She also was charged with one count of reckless driving and one count of no operating license, which are misdemeanors.

She was arraigned on Dec. 16 in the 44th District Court and her bond was set at $250,000, no 10%, cash or surety. Her next court appearance is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. Jan. 27.