A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
5
July 9, 2015
B
ELLEVILLE
- I
NKSTER
- R
OMULUS
Spirit Airlines to invest $3 million
More legal action has resulted
from the traffic-stop beating of a
motorist in Inkster Jan. 28.
One of the officers involved in
the arrest of Floyd Dent, seen on
the patrol-car videotape that
became an internet sensation, has
now filed suit against the City of
Inkster, City Manager Richard
Marsh and Police Chief Joe
Thomas.
The officer, Phillip (Chuck)
Randazzo, was suspended for his
participation in the arrest during
which another officer, William
Melendez, struck Dent at least 16
times in the head and face with
his closed fist while restraining
the 55-year-old man in a choke
hold. Melendez was fired by
Inkster and now faces criminal
charges based on the videotape
evidence. All charges against
Dent, including resisting arrest
and drug possession, were
dropped by Wayne County
Prosecutor Kym Worthy when the
patrol car videotape was released
to the media by Dent's attorney,
GregRohl.
Randazzo, a 20-year veteran of
the Inkster department and the
president of the officers' union, is
represented in the lawsuit by
attorney Tom Pabst. The suit
claims that Randazzo was cleared
of any misconduct in the arrest of
Dent and was also cleared of any
wrongdoing in a subsequent
videotape of officers in the police
station apparently mocking Dent.
The suit claims his suspension
was unwarranted and "an effort to
smear" him, according to his attor-
ney.
On the patrol car video of the
arrest, Randazzo is seen kicking
Dent twice and the station video
shows him walking to a bench in
what appears to be a booking
room, lying down and lifting up
his arm in a position comparable
to Dent's physical position during
his arrest.
In both instances, internal
investigations performed by the
Inkster Police Department exon-
erated Randazzo. Both were per-
formed under the supervision of
former Police Chief Vickie Yost
who subsequently resigned her
position.
Randazzo was suspended for
15 days, however, "for the use of
excessive force" and bringing the
department disrepute. Another
officer, Sgt. Shawn Kritzer, was
also suspended for 30 days for
neglect of duty in not getting Dent
immediatemedical attention.
Randazzo claims in his lawsuit
that the city released the video of
the arrest in a deliberate attempt
to smear himwhile an appeal of a
separate 2013 lawsuit is pending.
In that lawsuit, Randazzo alleged
he was mistreated by the city as
he was a whistleblower and he
was awarded $125,000. The city is
appealing that decision and
Randazzo's attorney has stated
that he suspects the suspension in
the Dent incident was part of an
effort at retaliation by the city. In
the suit, Randazzo claims the
videotape was released to the
media in an effort to smear him.
Dent's attorney, however, has stat-
ed emphatically that he released
the videotape to themedia.
To date, Inkster officials have
announced a new tax levy of 6.45
mills to pay the court settlement of
$1,377,500 to Dent and an addi-
tional .47 mill to pay DeShawn
Acklin $100,000 to settle his claims
of police brutality in another inci-
dent that also involved Melendez.
The millage levies will cost the
owners of an Inkster home valued
at $55,000 about $192.
No amount of damages sought
was listed inRandazzo's suit.
Spirit Airlines, Inc. is con-
structing a new maintenance
hangar at Detroit Metropolitan
Airport with support from the
Michigan Strategic Fund. The
project is expected to generate
$31.7 million in new private
investment and add 84 new jobs.
“Michigan's economy is soar-
ing ahead, and this new invest-
ment by Spirit Airlines under-
scores Michigan's greatly
improved business climate and a
talent pool that can compete
with any place in the world,”
said Michigan Economic
Development Corp. Chief
Executive Officer Steve Arwood.
“It is through the efforts of the
City of Romulus and the Wayne
County Airport Authority that
these well-paying jobs are com-
ing to Michigan residents, and
we are pleased to support that
collaboration.”
Spirit Airlines, Inc., a low-fare
airline based in Miramar, FL,
was founded in 1964 inMichigan
as Clippert Trucking Co. Plans
include the construction of a
new 126,000 square foot com-
mercial airline maintenance
hangar at a cost of about $31.7
million. The reported 84 new
jobs will be related to commer-
cial airline maintenance and
repair. As a result, the project
has been awarded a $1 million
MichiganBusiness Development
Program performance based
grant. Michigan was chosen over
a competing site in Texas. The
city of Romulus has offered sup-
port to the project in the form of
property tax abatement, accord-
ing to a prepared statement .
“Spirit has a long and proud
history with Michigan and
specifically
Detroit
Metropolitan, Wayne County
Airport,” said Spirit Airlines
President and CEO Ben
Baldanza. “This new hangar will
allow our maintenance techni-
cians to more efficiently and
more effectively service our
planes in a controlled environ-
ment. We're also excited that
Spirit will be bringing additional
jobs to this community.”
“The city of Romulus is proud
to be a part of Spirit Airlines'
expansion and investment at
Detroit Metropolitan Airport,”
said Romulus Mayor LeRoy D.
Burcroff. “The incentives we are
offering will bring more jobs and
investment to not only Romulus,
but all southeastMichigan.”
Teen named ‘commander’
JacobMason has his eye on
the sky where he hopes to
spendhis future.
The 17-year-old Belleville
resident recently graduated
from the Early College
Alliance Program at Eastern
Michigan University and has
been named a cadet com-
mander at the Civil Air Patrol
Willow Run Composite
Squadron, part of the
MichiganWing of the Civil Air
Patrol. The squadron is an
official auxiliary of the U.S.
Air Force, where Mason
hopes to spendhis future.
Mason said he plans to pur-
sue a bachelor's degree in
flight technology at Eastern
while simultaneously earning
his pilot's license, so he can
pursue his planned career as
a U.S. Air Force search-and-
rescue pilot.
Mason has been awarded
the General Billy Mitchell
Award, the most prestigious
Civil Air Patrol honor.
Mason, who has been with
the Civil Air Patrol for 41/2
years, said he joined the vol-
unteer organization for the
military experience. The
group performs three con-
gressionally assigned mis-
sions; emergency services,
which includes search and
rescue by both air and ground
and disaster relief operations;
aerospace education for youth
and general public and cadet
programfor youth.
Mason is the son of Dan
and Cheryl Mason of
Belleville.
The millage levies will cost the owners of
an Inkster home valued at $55,000 about $192.
”
Third lawsuit filed in Inkster beating incident
