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December 18, 2014
New police chief named in City of Wayne
2 charged in shooting death of Westland man
Library offers monthly programs
I
NKSTER
- W
AYNE
- W
ESTLAND
AlanMaciag is the newCity of
WayneChief of Police.
Members of the city council
confirmed the permanent
appointment of Maciag to the
position during their regular
meeting earlier this month.
Interim City Manager David
Murphy appointedMaciag to the
position on an interim basis fol-
lowing the retirement of former
chief Jason Wright in October.
Wright has now joined the Van
Buren Township Public Safety
Department as an administrator.
Maciag, 40, who served as
deputy chief during Wright's
tenure, was praised for his tak-
ing on added responsibilities
while Wright served as a tempo-
rary citymanager in the commu-
nity. Murphy told council mem-
bers that Maciag was well suited
for the top job in the police
department and said he was
described by other police offi-
cers and members of the com-
munity as meticulous, dedicat-
ed, hardworking, honest and eth-
ical.
“I wanted to thank you for
your vote of confidence. I thank
all the citizens of this fine city for
being so nice and their support
over the years,” said Maciag. “I
started my career here 17 years
ago. I am very proud to be chief.
The fine men and women of this
department are the best of the
best as you know.”
Maciag and his wife, June,
have two sons, Jacob and Alex.
He earned his bachelors degree
in criminal justice fromWestern
Michigan University and a mas-
ters degree in criminology from
EasternMichigan University. He
also completed the FBI
Academy in 2012 and the
Northwestern University Staff
andCommandSchool.
Maciag,
formerly
of
Wyandotte, said he has specific
goals for the department despite
the financial problems facing
the city which is in a deficit
budget situation.
“I'd also like to be more
involved in the community.
There are some technology
things I would like to see us
move towards,” he said. “I want
to be more accessible to the
community - they are our ally
andhelpus tremendously.”
Twomen have been charged
in the shooting death of a 79-
year-oldWestlandman.
Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy
has charged Dale Morgan, 42,
of Ypsilanti and Cortez Butler,
42, of Detroit with the homi-
cide of Charles Graham who
was killed shortly after 5:30
a.m. Dec. 6. Prosecutors allege
that Graham met with Morgan
in the early morning hours of
Dec. 6 and they went to a
house in the 9300 block of
Woodlawn in Detroit. The pair
met Butler and shortly there-
after the three got into a near-
by car.
While in the vehicle, prose-
cutors claim, Butler handed
Morgan a bottle of pills and
demandedmoney. There was a
dispute between the men and
when Graham refused to give
Morgan money, Morgan shot
him in the head with a hand-
gun.
Investigators said that
Butler and Morgan fled the
scene but following an investi-
gation by the Detroit Police
Department detectives, were
arrestedDec. 11.
Morgan has been charged
with First Degree Murder,
Felony Murder and Felony
Firearm, according to the pros-
ecutor's office. He was
arraignedDec. 13 and remand-
ed to jail. Butler has been
charged with Felon in
Possession of a Firearm and
Felon in possession of ammu-
nition and was also arraigned
Dec. 13. He received a bond of
$1million.
Preliminary court examina-
tions for both defendants are
scheduled for Dec. 23 in 36th
District Court.
The Leanna Hicks Inkster Public
Library has changed to time for LEGO
night at the library to 4:30-5:30 p.m. on
Tuesdays and Thursdays. Lego night will
take placeDec. 23, and 30.
Following LEGO night is Storytime.
Story time now takes place from 5:30-6:30
p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays on the same
dates at LEGOnight.
The holiday party for children 10 and
younger is planned for 1 p.m. Dec. 20. The
librarywill show themovie, Maleficent.
4-H Activity Days are also planned at
the library during the holiday break. From
noon until 4 p.m. Dec. 22 students can
enjoy a China Art Exchange. Students can
explore Chinese culture, examine artwork
created by Chinese youth and create their
own artwork that may be shared with
youth inChina.
From noon until 2 p.m. on Dec. 23,
STEM (Science, Technology, Math and
Engineering) experiments that include
building spool cars and other activities
From noon until 4 p.m. Dec. 29, the
topic will be Healthy Living. Students can
learn about health and nutrition while
participating in fitness and healthy living
workshops.
From noon until 4 p.m. Dec. 30, the
topic will be Community Service during
which students can experience the impor-
tance of community engagement by partic-
ipating in hands-on projects that will be
donated to a local organization.
The library is located at 2005 Inkster
Road in Inkster. Formore information and
registration, call (313) 563-2822.
ment amount subsequently accepted by
bothSanders and the city.
“Once the case evaluation was com-
plete, we settled very quickly,”Ruark said.
The settlement agreement includes a
confidentially clause which prevents
either side from revealing the amount of
the payment from the city or city insur-
ance carrier toSanders, Ruark said.
“It is very confidential, but I will say the
settlement was not extravagant. It was not
our intent to drain anybody financially. We
wanted to make a statement and that's
what we did,”Ruark said.
Sanders also refused to disclose any
terms of the agreement.
“I feel the settlement agreement is
equitable and I am very happy with the
results. That being said, this was never
about the money for me. This was about
not allowing the climate of entitlement
and intolerance in city hall to continue.
This was about setting an example for oth-
ers who think they have no recourse
against the misuse of authority or the mis-
conduct of those in elected office,” he said.
Monit said the settlement amount
would be paid to Sanders by the city or the
city insurance carrier and did not indicate
that he would be paying any of the settle-
ment amount personally.
“I'm glad it's settled. I feel the amount
settled on was appropriate for the nature
of the case which had no basis,” he said.
“I'm glad it's behind me and I'm ready to
move forward. I'm glad to be rid of that
burden.”
Sanders said that he would not hesitate
to take legal action again in the same situ-
ation.
“I will not allow myself to be a part of,
or calmly accept, being the target of imma-
ture, baseless gossip and innuendo that
seems to have become commonplace and
acceptable today and I hope that others
who have been maligned by this kind of
juvenile prurience follow my example
and seek legal redress,” he said.
“I am glad this battle in the war is done
and I am more than pleased with the
results. I hope we can all move forward in
a more respectful and civilized manner
and work toward making our city a better
place,” Sanders said.
Monit, too, said the case was “reason-
ably settled.”
“I'm happy and satisfied it's over with
and the city is happy,”Monit said.
“Mr. Monit made a mistake. Hopefully,
now that this is all settled, we can all move
forward,”Ruark said.
Settlement
FROM PAGE 1
strip to their underwear and loaded them
into the trunk of a car, according to testi-
mony in the court. The teens were found
five days later in an abandoned field in
Detroit shot execution style.
Testimony indicated that Hunter told
others that he andYoung drove around for
about an hour before finding the “perfect
spot,” where the teens were taken into the
field where they were found, forced to
kneel and fatally shot. A witness also said
that Hunter told him that the car the teens
were driving was doused with bleach and
burned. The car was located on
Beechwood in Detroit covered in a clean-
ing solvent but not set on fire, according to
police reports. The Chevrolet Cavalier
was located the day after the teens went
missing and several days before their bod-
ies were found. Stereo equipment had
been stripped and stolen from the vehicle
by two men living near where the car was
abandoned. The men who took the equip-
ment from the car were later arrested and
suspected of the shootings, but further
investigation cleared them of the killings,
according to court records.
Hunter is already serving a sentence of
life without parole for the murder of
Vietnam veteran John Villneff on Rutland
Street inDetroit inAugust 2012.
Guilty
FROM PAGE 1