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AP-US-DEADLY-CHASE-DEPUTY-SHOT

Family: Man in deputy’s shooting had ‘irrational thoughts’

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) — The family of a man identified as a suspect in the fatal shooting of a deputy in southwestern Michigan said he had been “tormented by invasive and irrational thoughts.” Gary Goidosik and Kim Goidosik referred to themselves in a statement Tuesday as the family of the shooter in the weekend death of Kalamazoo County sheriff’s deputy Ryan Proxmire. State police on Monday identified the 35-year-old Kyle Goidosik as the man who shot Proxmire. Authorities have said a man pointed a gun at deputies at a gas station in Galesburg Saturday night then drove away. Proxmire gave chase and was shot. He died at a hospital Sunday. The man later was killed in an exchange of gunfire with the other deputies.

AP-US-UAW-CORRUPTION

Automaker FCA US admits paying off union leaders; fined $30M

Automaker FCA US has been fined $30 million after admitting that it paid off leaders of the United Auto Workers to try to win concessions in negotiations covering thousands of factory workers. U.S. District Court Judge Paul Borman also sentenced FCA US Tuesday to three years’ probation and ordered an independent compliance monitor. FCA stands for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, which now is part of Stellantis. The automaker pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy. Its conviction follows a series of guilty pleas from UAW officials who were showered with more than $3.5 million in cash and items of value from a jointly run training center over an eight-year period.

CHRISTMAS TREES-BUG THREAT

Bug that could hurt Christmas tree industry found spotted

ROCKFORD, Mich. (AP) — An invasive bug that could threaten Michigan’s Christmas tree industry has been discovered in the western part of the state. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said Monday it had confirmed the presence of the balsam woolly adelgid near Rockford in Kent County. A homeowner noticed several Fraser firs in their yard were declining and contacted an arborist, who spotted the infestation and alerted the state. It’s unclear how the bug reached Michigan or how long it’s been in the state. The Balsam woolly adelgid has been on Michigan’s invasive species watch list for years.

AP-US-HATE-CRIME-PROBE-MICHIGAN-FAMILY

Man sentenced for attacking Black neighbors’ Michigan home

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. (AP) — A white neighbor who shot at a Black family’s Michigan home, slashed tires on a vehicle and wrote racist graffiti on a pickup truck, told a judge he did it because of a Black Lives Matter sign in the window. Michael Frederick Jr. said during his sentencing in Macomb County Circuit Court that his actions weren’t an attack on Eddie and Candace Hall, “personally.” The Macomb Daily of Mount Clemens reports that 25-year-old Frederick was sentenced to four to 10 years in prison. The incidents occurred in September in Warren, which borders Detroit.

DRUNKEN DRIVING-EXPUNGEMENT

Whitmer to OK letting drunken drivers try to clear record

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan legislators have voted to let an estimated 200,000 one-time drunken drivers seek to set aside their conviction, finalizing expungement bills that will be signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The legislation received wide bipartisan support Tuesday in the state House. It would lift a prohibition barring DUI offenders from clearing their record. To be eligible, they could have only one offense and it could not have caused another person’s death or injury. They would have to wait at least five years after their probationary term to apply. A judge would review any request and made a decision.

LANSING-COUPLE SLAIN

Man charged in couple’s slaying also charged in teen’s death

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A man charged in the April killings of a Lansing couple is also accused in a string of June crimes that include the killing of a teenage girl and a sexual assault on a woman. Isaiah Gardenhire is charged in Ingham County in the fatal April 28 shootings of 39-year-old Harley Owens and his 29-year-old girlfriend, Kelsey Coon-Lennon, according to court records. The Lansing State Journal reports that he also faces 12 felonies stemming from several crimes in early June in the county, including the slaying of 13-year-old Adrie Dembowski. Gardenhire is in custody in the Isabella County Jail on $1.5 million bond.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-PUBLIC SAFETY

Whitmer: Spend $75M of pandemic rescue funds to reduce crime

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wants to spend $75 million in federal pandemic rescue funding to reduce violent crime, calling it a critical issue that must be addressed amid double-digit percentage increases in several Michigan cities. Her proposed framework, if enacted by legislators, would allocate additional funding to hire more police. She wants officers to live where they work and proposes new spending to bolster law enforcement recruitment and diversity, including with expanded scholarships and financial incentives. Other facets aim to get illegal guns off the streets and to expand job and education opportunities so people avoid retaliatory or other violence.

DEADLY CHASE-DEPUTY SHOT

Michigan police ID man shot, killed in deputy’s slaying

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) — Authorities say the suspect in the fatal shooting of a sheriff’s deputy in southwestern Michigan had been involved in a car chase with another law enforcement agency earlier that day. Michigan State Police on Monday identified the man who was later shot and killed by deputies as 35-year-old Kyle Goidosik of Vicksburg. Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller said the suspect pointed a gun at deputies at a gas station in Galesburg Saturday night then drove off. The deputies chased the suspect who shot and critically wounded Deputy Ryan Proxmire during that pursuit. Goidosik was killed in an exchange of gunfire with other deputies. Proxmire died in a hospital Sunday. Galesburg is about 130 miles west of Detroit.

ELECTION 2022-MICHIGAN GOVERNOR

Craig announces steps to bolster police amid crime ‘crisis’

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig is calling for strengthening law enforcement amid what he labels a public safety “crisis.” He announced moves Monday to focus on policing while he prepares to formally run for governor. The Republican appointed a team of sheriffs, lawmakers and a county prosecutor to recommend new laws. Craig also says he will use his bully pulpit to bring attention to crime issues. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer later Monday will propose a plan to use federal pandemic rescue funding to boost support for police officers and curb the use of illegal guns.

STORM CREDITS

Michigan AG Nessel wants higher credits for storm victims

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is urging DTE Energy and Consumers Energy to increase the credits offered to customers who suffered losses because of outages. Nearly 1 million homes and businesses reported they lost power during storms last week. Currently, customers can apply for a credit of $25. Nessel is asking in a news release Monday that the companies raise the $25 credits required by state law that customers can apply for if they’ve experienced a power outage for an extended period of time. She says the credit should be automatic and should be increased to reflect costs such as the loss of hundreds of dollars worth of food.