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SSOCIATED
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EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
3
March 6, 2014
W
AYNE
- W
ESTLAND
- R
OMULUS
Suspect who threatened cop will face trial
Allante Jones, 24, of Ypsilanti, has
been ordered to stand trial on
charges of carrying a concealed
weapon, felonious assault, felony
firearm, marijuana possession and
resisting arrest.
A trial on the charges was
ordered by 18th District Court Judge
Sandra Cicirelli following a prelimi-
nary examination last week and
stem from a traffic stop by Romulus
officers in Westland Feb. 1. During
the hearing, Romulus Ofc. Darryl
Nippes testified that Jones threat-
ened himwith a gun after fleeing on
foot from the traffic stop. Nippes
said that he drew his service
revolver and fired wounding Jones
in the finger.
The incident began at about 5:45
p.m. Feb. 1, according to police
reports, when Nippes and his road
patrol partner saw a van driving
without headlights near Ecorse and
Van Born roads in Romulus. Nippes
said that he noticed the vehicle had
no lights as it approached his patrol
car from the opposite direction. He
turned his car around to stop the van
and tell the driver to turn on the
lights. When he was driving behind
the vehicle, he said that he noticed
that it hadno license plate.
According to police accounts of
the incident, the driver of the van
eventually stopped the vehicle on
Middlebelt Road, north of Van Born
in Westland. Nippes said that the
driver, identified as an Ypsilanti
woman and Jones' girlfriend, was
driving without a license. Nippes
said he could smell marijuana in the
vehicle.
The other officer was on the pas-
senger side of the van, talking to
Jones. The officer asked Jones to
step out of the vehicle and when he
did, he began running down the side-
walk and into a nearby empty field.
Nippes said he gave chase and
drew his weapon only after Jones
brandished the gun and threatened
him during the foot chase. The offi-
cer wounded Jones in the right
index finger and the suspect cried
out and fell to the ground, according
to police accounts of the incident.
Cicirelli bound Jones over for
trial on all charges and set his bond
at $50,000. His attorney requested a
reduction in the bond or release on a
tether claiming that Jones has a sig-
nificant medical issue from the
shooting and is in serious discom-
fort. The attorney said Jones
requires surgery to remove the bul-
let.
Cicirelli did not grant the reduc-
tion but did agree to refer Jones to
Pretrial Screening Services to deter-
minehismedical issues.
Nippes said he could
smell marijuana
in the vehicle.
”
for the occasion.
This wasn't the first timeButler
and Berch were reunited since
the incident at BellevilleLake.
“From time to time till I gradu-
ated from high school, Mr. Butler
would stop by and see how I was
doing,”Berchwrote.
“If I was out driving andwe ran
across each other, he would
always make sure we talked.
There was and is not a finer gen-
tleman.”
Berch said that he and his fam-
ily attended Butler's retirement
party in 1976.
While Berch did not speak at
the gathering, Dickerson read
fromhis email.
“A few thoughts about my life
after that experience,” Berch
wrote. “Saving someone's life like
Mr. Butler did isn't the end. It's
about him allowing me to finish
high school, get a job, marry (to
my wife Sharon of 54 years this
year), and have children Jeff, 52,
Jennifer, 50, and Aaron, 42. I
choose to be happy every day and
try to be helpful to whoever I can.
I have always wanted to save
someone's life, like Mr. Butler did
for me, but so far it hasn't hap-
pened.”
Butler is a Navy veteran who
served in World War II and was a
lifeguard at the time of the inci-
dent 61 years ago. After his retire-
ment from the Sheriff's
Department, he became a 30-year
member of the Romulus Police
Fire Safety Commission. A year
ago, he received a distinguished
service award a year ago at the
first Hometown Heroes celebra-
tion.
During Friday's ceremony,
Mayor LeRoy D. Burcroff
announced that he had pro-
claimed Jan. 28, 2014, as
“Nathanial Butler Day” in the
City of Romulus.
In addition, Public Safety
Director John Leacher presented
Butler with the first “Nathanial
Butler Life Safety Award” on
behalf of the Romulus Police
Department, plus a meritorious
safety award for showing unparal-
leled courage and bravery while
saving a person's life.
Leacher said that as the first
African-American sheriff's deputy
in Wayne County, “he paved the
way for thousands.”
“This is an awesome day,”
Burcroff said.
“We love Mr. Butler. And we
thank Mr. Berch for making the
trip.”
The mayor also thanked Delta
Airlines (represented by Dana
Debel at the ceremony) and
LaQuinta Inn for providing trans-
portation and lodging for Berch,
saying the two firms made the
reunionpossible.
Earlier in the celebration, Cpl.
Labrit Jackson, a Romulus Police
Department school resource offi-
cer, gave the keynote address. He
spoke of his heroes and paid spe-
cial tribute to his grandfather, the
late Earl Willis, saying he was on
his “Mount Rushmore” of people
he lookedup to.
Jackson said Willis always told
him to “do the best you can” and
not feel like he had to compen-
sate for something else or over-
come a perceived shortcoming.
Jackson said he gives the same
message tohis children.
Jackson said the term “Black
History Month” is a “misnomer.”
He said the accolades and
achievements are not just cele-
brated by African-Americans, but
are part of thehistory of America.
Jackson also received a stand-
ing ovation.
City Clerk Ellen Craig-Bragg
discussed the origins of Black
HistoryMonth and she andMayor
Pro-Tem John Barden read the
list of honorees, both living and
deceased. Craig-Bragg said the
list included African-Americans
“who have enriched our commu-
nity and helped make our city
what it is today,” saying they came
from the categories of politics,
education, sports, business, public
safety, entertainment and commu-
nity involvement.
Besides Craig-Bragg and
Barden, those recognized includ-
ed Emmett Barnes, Ed Beanum,
Bronson Bell, Tomeka Boles,
Cheryle Buckley, Lorena Burton,
the Rev. Alvin Burton, Nathanial
Butler, the Rev. L.B. Campbell Sr.,
Mary Carter, Lloyd Coleman,
Lnng Coleman and Thomas
Coleman
Also honored were Eugene
Edmonds, Brooker Edwards,
Eugenio Erasmo Fernandez,
Leonard Folmar, Danielle
Funderberg, Randolph Gear,
Patricia Hardaway, Hazel
Harrison, Darnell Hearst, Joel
Hearst, Willie Hester, John
Holifield, Karl Hunt, Elder
Horace Jackson, Pamela Kersey,
Grant Long, John Long and Jason
Lovette.
Others recognized were Irene
Martin, Terry Mills, Barbara
Morrison, Jimmie Raspberry,
Paulette Reeves, Darren Shelby,
Dr. Horace Stephens, LloydWard,
Eva Webb, Dorothy West, Rudy
Williams, Ezell Wooden, Mike
Woods andSamWoods.
History
FROM PAGE 1
Hospital to be renamed
Oakwood Annapolis Hospital
will get a new name later this
year.
The hospital, part of the
Oakwood Health Care System,
will be called Oakwood Hospital-
Wayne, according to Brian M.
Connolly, the president at CEO of
Oakwood. Three other hospitals
in the system will also be
renamed, including Oakwood
Hospital-Dearborn (formerly
Oakwood Hospital & Medical
Center), Oakwood Hospital-Taylor
(formerly Oakwood Heritage
Hospital)
and
Oakwood
Southshore Medical Center
which will be renamed Oakwood
Hospital-Southshore. Those
changes are expected later this
year.
“Oakwood is well known for
providing uniquely personalized
patient care at all of our facili-
ties,” said Connolly. “When some-
one steps into any Oakwood hos-
pital, clinic or facility, they can be
assured of receiving the same
great experience no matter
where they go. The new hospital
names confirm that commitment
to system-wide quality and serv-
ice.” The name change is consis-
tent with the naming of the more
than four dozen Oakwood health-
care centers located throughout
metro Detroit and continues the
branding strategy that originated
with an advertising campaign that
launched in 2012.
It also reflects the 'One
Oakwood' concept promoted
through the implementation of
the OakCare electronic medical
records systemlast year.
“Feedback we received from
the community indicated that the
Oakwood name was synonymous
with quality and preference,” said
Connolly. “We're very proud of
that and we want that to be the
standard at all of our facilities.”
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