Kalamazoo, MI: On Saturday January 11th at 1:30 pm, Kalamazoo Public Safety officers responded to the 4400 block of Lilac Ln in reference to a request for medical help. The caller was uncooperative with the 911 dispatcher’s questions. During the 911 call, dispatchers heard statements of possible violence occurring at the location. Officers quickly arrived and observed a male, wearing only underwear, running west on Lilac Ln. Officers attempted to stop the suspect, but he fled on foot from officers. The suspect then ran into traffic on Drake Rd, causing vehicles to stop in order to avoid hitting him. The suspect forced his way into a stopped vehicle and carjacked the vehicle. The suspect assaulted the female driver and forced her to drive him away from the scene. The victim was forced to drive a short distance before she decided to pull the vehicle into a parking lot to locate help. Officers followed the vehicle into the parking lot and took the suspect into custody without further incident. The victim received minor injuries and was treated at a local hospital.
The suspect, a 33 year old Kalamazoo man was arrested for Carjacking and Resisting & Obstructing Arrest. The case will be forwarded to the Kalamazoo County Prosecutors Office for review.
Public Safety encourages anyone with information regarding this investigation to contact the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety at 337-8994, Silent Observer at 343-2100 or report online at www.kalamazoosilentobserver.com.
By authority of: Lieutenant Matt Schemenauer