By Jennie Miller
C & G Staff Writer

SOUTHFIELD — Four Detroit teenagers are facing criminal charges after fleeing Southfield police officers in a stolen car and crashing into the vehicles of innocent bystanders Feb. 10.

A sawed-off shotgun and ski mask were among the items recovered from the stolen car after its occupants were arrested.

“We caught them going to an armed robbery — the shotgun was on the front seat,” said Southfield Police Chief Joe Thomas. “This is not the first time we’ve done this, where we’ve spoiled bad guys’ opportunity to commit a crime in Southfield. This is a pattern here, and evidently they don’t get it. We’ve got a special unit on the street that does nothing but look for potential problems. Our arrest rate is extremely high.”

At 2:30 p.m., two police officers were on patrol in the area of Eight Mile and Northland Drive when they saw a 1998 Ford Taurus with defective equipment making erratic lane changes without signaling. Police checked the plate in the law enforcement network, and it was registered to a vehicle stolen in Garden City on Feb. 6.

A traffic stop was initiated, but the vehicle fled the area, police said. Officers pursued the Taurus northbound on Southfield Road as it passed several vehicles by driving on the shoulder. As the vehicle approached 10 Mile it got into an accident, and three black males were seen running from the stolen Taurus.

After a short foot pursuit, officers apprehended two teens, ages 17 and 18, who both resisted arrest and refused to comply with the officers’ demands; a Taser was deployed.

A K-9 unit found a third suspect, 17, hiding behind a tree.

A fourth man who had been in the car was ejected during the crash and was initially unresponsive.

“He was treated at the scene and taken to a hospital,” said Lt. Nick Loussia, adding that the 19-year-old eventually came to. “He does have a serious injury, but he was alert and talking.”

Two uninvolved people were also injured in the car accident.

“They (the suspects) did strike two other vehicles, and two people were injured in those vehicles,” Loussia said. “They had minor injuries, were treated at the scene and transported to the hospital.”

All four suspects were initially charged with possession of a stolen automobile and possession of a sawed-off shotgun. The three who fled on foot were also charged with resisting and obstructing a police officer in the performance of his duty. Arraignment was expected to take place on Feb. 13, in Southfield’s 46th District Court.

Inside the Ford Taurus, officers discovered that the vehicle’s ignition column was damaged, and it is believed that a screwdriver was used to start the engine.

“You are welcome to come to Southfield if you abide by our rules,” Thomas said. “The sign says ‘Welcome to Southfield,’ but that doesn’t apply to everybody. We have some people we don’t want here, and this is a good example.”