A
SSOCIATED
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EWSPAPERS OF
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ICHIGAN
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AGE
2
April 2, 2015
I
NKSTER
Killers of 2-year-old
receive life sentences
Inkster man is millionaire
The quick actions of Inkster
firefighters were able to save the
life of a 35-year-old man trapped
in ahouse fire last week.
According to Inkster Fire
Chief John D. Adams, the alarm
came into the department at
about 7:55 a.m. last Tuesday
reporting a fire at 3106 Moore St.
The property is located south of
the Inkster Fire Station, Adams
said, and firefighters could see a
thick, dark column of smoke as
they arrived with lights and
sirens blazing at the address.
While enroute to the home,
responding firefighters received
word that a man was trapped in
the home while another had
jumped from a bedroom window
to escape the blaze. The house
was fully engulfed in flames with
heavy black smoke pouring
through the front windows,
according to official reports of
the blaze.
Firefighters immediately per-
formed a knock down to facilitate
the rescue of the 35-year- old
man who was located in a rear
bedroom. The patient was life-
less and did not have a pulse
when firefighters placed him in
the rescue vehicle, Adams, who
was on the scene, said.
“Our firefighter/paramedics
along with assistance from our
fire inspector who drove the
ambulance to the hospital were
able to reestablish his breathing.
The patient had on two occasions
gone into a Pulseless electrical
activity rhythm (PEA) due to his
extreme exposure to carbon
monoxide from the heavy
smoke,” Adams said. Upon
arrival at the hospital the Inkster
paramedics had been able to sta-
bilize the patient and he was
breathing andhad a pulse.
“A great save on their part
considering how long he was in
that toxic environment,” Adams
said. The man is now in stable
condition at Detroit Receiving
Hospital, Adams reported last
week.
Inkster firefighters were
assisted by Mutual Aid partners
from Garden City and Westland
who arrived during the rescue
phase and assisted in the extin-
guishment operations which had
been under way for about an
hour and ahalf, Adams said.
The fire appeared to have
started in the basement and trav-
eled up to the attic through the
duct work, he said.
“Overall our crews did an
exceptional job to save that resi-
dent and put the fire out. The
total operation took 4 hours from
start to finish,” Adams, who
remained on site for the entire
operation, said.
“It was extremely fortunate
that the fire came in during a
shift change,” he said. “Had that
not been the case we would have
not had the manpower of two
shifts to facilitate such a quick
rescue of the resident.
“On another side note, well
into the operation our firefight-
ers located a small dog and with
some oxygen resuscitated him.
He was reunited with the 77-
year-old man who had earlier
jumped from the window,”
Adams added. He said the senior
citizen suffered only minor
injuries and was not transported
to thehospital.
The two men who killed a 2-year-old
child on the porch of an Inkster home
will spend the rest of their lives inprison.
Wayne County Circuit Court Judge
Ulysses Boykin sentenced the pair,
Raymone Bernard Jackson and Raphael
Daniel-Jordan Hearn, both of Inkster, to
mandatory life inprison.
Boykin told the court at the sentenc-
ing, “This is one of the most heinous
crimes I have ever seen in my 45 years in
the legal profession.”
The two were convicted of first-degree
murder in the death of KaMiya Gross
who was killed in July of 2014. The tod-
dler was shot in the head at point-blank
range in front of her father, Kenneth
French, who was also wounded. A 12-
year-old was also shot in the incident but
both French and the girl, now 13, recov-
ered fromtheir injuries.
French told the court that the shooting
was in retaliation against him for an inci-
dent that took place previously at a club
wherehewasworking security.
He said that Jackson shot the child at
the behest of Hearn who wanted him to
see his child die as revenge for the earli-
er incident.
“Mr. Hearn was the one who encour-
aged Mr. Jackson to commit these crimes
said Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor
JaimiePowell Horowitz.
Hearn was also convicted of charges
including two counts of assault with
intent tomurder.
The two do not have the possibility of
parole.
himself from Melendez' blows, preventing
a second officer from handcuffing Dent's
arms behind his back. Dent struggles
against having his arm restrained and
Melendez continues to pound his head
with his fist. The three continue to strug-
gle on the ground as a third officer arrives
on the scene, kicks Dent and a fourth offi-
cer Tasers him in the thigh and stomach
as he is being handcuffed.
Officers claim Dent was in an area
known for drug trafficking and that they
found drugs under the front seat of his car
during a searchafter the struggle.
Dent and his attorney claim the officers
planted the drugs and that they have addi-
tional video not yet made public showing
that actionby officers.
Dent said he was hospitalized for two
days as a result of the injuries he suffered
in the incident, including a fractured eye
socket. He was originally charged with
assault, resisting arrest and possession of
cocaine. After a reviewof the arrest video-
tape, 22nd District Court Judge Sabrina
Johnson dismissed the assault and resist-
ing arrest charges. Dent faced a court
hearing on the drug charge in circuit court
yesterday. The results of that hearingwere
not available at press time.
Yost said last week during a citizens'
protest at Inkster CityHall that the depart-
ment would “not hide from” the investiga-
tion.
“It's an ongoing investigation and we're
waiting for the results of the investiga-
tion,” Yost said. “We're not scared of the
facts. We'll follow them wherever they go
andwe'll take the appropriate action.”
She confirmed that Melendez, the offi-
cer seen striking Dent, is not assigned to
street patrol as the department and state
police
investigation
proceeds.
Unconfirmed reports said that he was
placed on administrative leave.
Michigan State Police Lt. Michael
Shaw confirmed the ongoing state investi-
gation into the incident.
Steven Cosby, Jr. of Inkster has about a
million reasons to continue to play
Powerball.
Cosby won $1 million earlier this
month when the ticket he purchased
matched five numbers drawn in the lot-
tery, 11-17-25-28 and 46 although he did
not get the final Powerball number.
Cosby said he plans to purchase a new
Mercedes, a car his has dreamt about
since his teens, and to buy each of his par-
ents a car. He also hopes to take a vacation
to visit other familymembers and to invest
the rest of his new-foundwealth.
Cosby said it was a long weekend,
knowing he had the winning ticket but not
being able to contact the lottery officials to
redeem the prize. Cosby said he still is in
shock and won't actually believe his good
fortune until the money is in his bank
account.
He purchased the winning ticket in
Wayne at Mitch's Party Store which will
receive a cashprize for selling the ticket.
Arrest
FROM PAGE 1
A great save on their
part considering how long
he was in that toxic environment.
”
Firefighters save resident from burning home
