Kalamazoo, MI: On Tuesday, March 20th, 2018, at approximately 11:27 p.m., Kalamazoo Public Safety officers received a 911 call reporting a man in the 1500 block of Washington Ave. who was in a gray truck and armed with a firearm. A Kalamazoo Public Safety officer was on foot in the area on an unrelated call for service, when he spotted the vehicle and attempted to make contact with him. The man refused to stop and sped away from the officer. Less than a minute later, Public Safety officers attempted to stop the suspect utilizing a fully marked police vehicle on Portage St, near Stockbridge Ave. The man refused to stop and fled northbound on Portage St. at a high rate of speed. Officers discontinued their attempts to stop the vehicle by deactivating their emergency lights and slowing their speed a block later at Portage St. and Washington Ave. After traveling approximately ½ mile on Portage St, the suspect collided with a vehicle that was making a left turn from southbound Portage St. onto eastbound Crosstown Parkway, trapping the two occupants inside the vehicle. The suspect immediately fled from the vehicle on foot and was quickly apprehended by responding officers. Officers had to extricate the occupants of the vehicle and despite lifesaving attempts by officers, both died from their injuries.
Kalamazoo Pubic Safety offers their condolences to the family of 62 year old Mary Muniz and 66 year old Juan Muniz, both from Kalamazoo, MI.
The suspect, who is a 56 year-old Kalamazoo resident, was arrested on the charges of fleeing and eluding causing death, operating while intoxicated causing death, leaving the scene of an accident and resisting and obstructing arrest pending review of this investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office.
Anyone who may have information regarding this investigation is asked to call Kalamazoo Public Safety at 337-8994 or Silent Observer at 343-2100 or www.kalamazoosilentobserver.com.
By authority of: Captain Matt Huber
Date: March 21th, 2018
Address: 150 E. Crosstown Parkway, Kalamazoo, MI 49001
Contact: Captain Shannon Bagley, Criminal Investigations Division, 337-8139
