A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
7
May 18, 2017
I
NKSTER
Police seek witnesses
in shooting death
Drug deal ends in shooting of both buyer and seller
Michigan State Police are
continuing the investigation into
a shooting death last Thursday,
May 11 on Carlysle near Burns
Street in Inkster.
Detectives from the Michigan
State
Police
Special
Investigative Section were
called to the area at about 8:55
Thursday night in response to
reports of shots being fired,
according to police reports.
Police said that a preliminary
investigation indicated that two
men riding motorcycles through
the intersectionwere involved in
a shooting. Both riders immedi-
ately left the scene when the
shots were fired but 26-year-old
Jerel Jenkins died about a block
away from wounds he suffered
in the incident.
Witnesses told police that
they heard gunshots and then
saw two motorcycle riders
speeding eastbound. Witnesses
said that Jenkins collapsed and
fell off his motorcycle on
Carlysle and Middlebelt, about a
block from the shooting. Police
suspect that he fell off or
dumped his motorcycle as he
was too weak from blood loss to
continue to flee the scene. Police
said the second rider stopped
and apparently checked on
Jenkins before he rode away
fromthe scene.
Police investigators found
shell casings and fiberglass on
the ground at the intersection
where the shooting reportedly
took place. Police are currently
seeking the drivers of two vehi-
cles which were reported to
have been seen in the area at the
time of the reported shooting.
Police said that the drivers of the
cars may have witnessed the
incident or have information
pertinent to the investigation.
Police said that they are con-
tinuing to investigate numerous
leads and tips that have come in
from the community. Police
asked that anyone with informa-
tion contact the state police
office at (855)MICH-TIP.
Michigan State Police inves-
tigators have determined that
the shooting of two men earlier
this month was a drug deal
gone awry.
According to police reports,
Second District, Special
Investigative Section detectives
from the state police were
called to the City of Inkster at
about 10:20 p.m. May 2 regard-
ing a report of a non-fatal shoot-
ing involving twomen.
Responding detectives
determined that one man suf-
fered two gunshot wounds and
was being treated at Beaumont-
Dearborn Hospital. The sec-
ond man suffered one gunshot
wound andwas being treated at
Beaumont-Wayne.
After interviews with both
men, detectives determined
that the victim who suffered
two wounds knew the other
man and the two had arranged
a meeting so the victim could
buy a quarter-ounce of marijua-
na fromthe suspect.
The victim drove to Lehigh
Street and Bayhan Street in
Inkster to meet with the sus-
pect. When he arrived, the sus-
pect entered the victim's car
and as the victim began to pay
for the drug, the suspect pro-
duced a semi-automatic hand-
gun and attempted to rob the
victim.
A fight ensued inside the
vehicle and during the struggle
the victim was shot twice and
the suspect once as the victim
wrestled the gun away from the
suspect, police said.
The suspect fled the scene,
leaving the weapon and the vic-
tim drove himself to his resi-
dence. He was being driven to
the hospital by his mother
when they flagged down the
Garden City Police for assis-
tance, according to police
reports.
The suspect was driven to
the hospital by an acquain-
tance, police said.
The suspect lied to investiga-
tors several times about his
identity and also claimed he
was a victimof a drive-by shoot-
ing, according to detectives'
reports.
The suspect was treated and
lodged in the Inkster jail pend-
ing further investigation.
No names were released by
police pending a review of pos-
sible charges by the office of the
WayneCounty Prosecutor.
Banner
years
Last
week,
Inkster
Department of Parks and
Recreation Manager Craig
Lewis unveiled the Inkster
High School Basketball Hall
of Fame banner now dis-
played in the Dozier
Recreation Center in the city.
The banner, shared by the
Basketball Legends of Inkster
organization and its president
and director, Fred Smiley,
was presented to the recre-
ation department and moved
to the current location follow-
ing the Night To Remember
celebration in the city. Hall of
Fame players honored on the
banner are Henry (Hank)
Hughes, class of 1953;
Chester Hicks, class of 1955;
Richard Glover, class of 1958;
Kelly O'Neal, class of 1959;
Jessie Grayson, class of
1959; Fred Smiley, class of
1965; Bernard Bonam, class
of 1966; Richard Walker,
class of 1967; Jerry Allison,
class of 1970; Duane Fox,
class of 1971; Eartha (Boo
Boo) Faust, class of 1972;
Alvin (Bo) Dukes, class of
1979 and Albert White class
of 1995.
