Southfield

Southfield officers arrest homicide suspect from Mississippi

By Jessica Strachan
C & G Staff Writer

What was intended to be a routine traffic stop for Southfield police officers led to them taking a suspect in a Mississippi homicide case off the streets last week.

Lt. Nick Loussia of the Southfield Police Department said that officers were patrolling in the area of Eight Mile and Greenfield roads around 6 p.m. Nov. 23 when they spotted a vehicle with an expired license plate.

Loussia said the traffic stop was unfolding in a typical manner as the driver gave the officers his identification when requested, but the situation became suspicious when the passenger of the vehicle said he did not have any identification.

He did give officers a name, which turned out to be fake, Loussia explained. In the process of confirming the subject’s identification, the man tried to make a run for it.

“Our officers used a portable fingerprinting device and fingerprinted both individuals. When the officers were back in the police car, the passenger fled from the vehicle on foot,” Loussia said.

The man was pursued by police and located in the area after a short time. He was placed under arrest and a possible reason why he fled soon became clear.

“It was determined that he was a wanted subject. He had an outstanding warrant for homicide,” Loussia said. Local authorities are unsure on the details of the alleged crime, or how the suspect ended up in Southfield, though it was clear to them that the suspect was intentionally lying low.

“He was placed under arrest for the warrant and providing false information. He gave a name that was in fact not his when he knew he was a wanted person for a homicide,” Loussia said.

Southfield’s police report of the incident does not list any personal information about the suspect, other than that he is 19 years old and that his warrant is out of the Natchez Police Department.

Natchez is the largest community in Adams County, Miss., with a population of just over 18,000, according to the U.S. Census. The town is located along the Mississippi River, approximately 90 miles southwest of Jackson, Miss., and 85 miles north of Baton Rouge, La.

The suspect was taken to the Southfield Police Department and, as of Monday afternoon, was being held for extradition. No one in the Natchez Police Department was available for comment.

Loussia said that the driver of the car, a 29-year-old man from Detroit, was issued a ticket for expired plates and no insurance, then released.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Jessica Strachan at jstrachan@candgnews.com or at (586)279-1108.