What'd you miss? Top stories this week on ClickOnDetroit.com

DPD puts on show, car crashes into store, attorney talks White Boy Rick

DETROIT – Another busy week came and went in Metro Detroit. Here's a look at some of the week's top headlines from ClickOnDetroit.com.

Young driver crashes through store window

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A young driver crashed into a children’s clothing store Thursday evening in Farmington Hills.

The crash happened at Carter's on Orchard Lake Road near 14 Mile Road.

Police said a boy got behind the wheel of his mother’s car while she was shopping. The boy's age is unclear, but police said he is too young to have a driver's license.

“I couldn’t really see the boy because he was so little and short, but I did see him back up in the Carter’s store,” witness Aleasha Rivers said.

The boy drove around the parking lot and realized he was heading towards Orchard Lake Road so he threw the car into reverse, according to Farmington Hills Police Sgt. Mike Flatt.

You can read more about this story and see video of the scene here.


'Why I Hate Detroit' writer: Walls higher in 'hood

Eric Thomas' pens blog titled 'Why I Hate Detroit'

Eric Thomas' blog, titled "Why I Hate Detroit," has ignited a passionate discussion about the city's so-called renaissance.

"Let’s start with the largest elephant in the room and work our way down. Detroit has very low opportunity for people that live here. Not none, just very minimal," Thomas writes.

The Detroit native posted that statement Monday on his LinkedIn page, and it already has more than 60,000 views.

It's been shared countless times on social media and has garnered both supportive comments and criticism:

"Replace hate with love and I'll read the article."

"Very poignant article. From my side of the fence, it's taboo to speak poorly of Detroit within my own circles because, growing up in the wealthy suburbs and never living in the city proper, we get to cherry-pick the Detroit we see – one that is only made of the "good parts," fabricated in large part by Dan Gilbert. Try to mention any of the real problems and it's almost as if no one believes me ..."

You can read Evrod Cassimy's full piece here.


New proposal: 'Aggressive' panhandlers could be fined

Lawmakers in Lansing will soon consider new legislation that would crack down on aggressive panhandling, so much so that a panhandler could be fined for begging too much.

The new proposal, which is headed to the House floor, could lead to a civil fine of up to $100 if the panhandler continues to beg from a person after the person said "no."

Panhandlers can be seen all over on the streets of metro Detroit, from downtown to the suburbs.

Some of the panhandlers have fallen on hard times. Some are begging for work, others for spare change.

Under a new proposal on the House floor in Lansing, those panhandlers who are a bit more aggressive could be fined $100 if they keep begging after being told "no."

Read the rest of the story here.


Ausmus misses game because of mother's death

Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus missed Wednesday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies because of the death of his mother.

Tigers turnaround: 5 reasons for recent winning streak

A team spokesman confirmed Wednesday that Ausmus' mother had died. He also missed Friday's game because of his daughter's high school graduation. Bench coach Gene Lamont managed in Ausmus' absence.

Read more about this week in Tigers' baseball here.


DPD creates viral Running Man Challenge video

Video features officers, Craig dancing to '90s song 'My Boo'

Detroit police officers are showing off their dance moves as part of a viral video craze known as the Running Man Challenge.

In the video, officers do a variation of the running man to the '90s song "My Boo" by Ghost Town DJs. The backdrop for the video is several downtown landmarks, such as the GM Renaissance Center, the river front and the Joe Louis fist.

You can watch the video here.


Alan Dershowitz investigates 'White Boy Rick' case

High-profile attorney says Rick Wershe's case doesn't add up

Alan Dershowitz has an office full of memories from big cases such as those of O.J. Simpson, Patty Hearst and Jim Bakker, just to name a few.

The high-profile attorney has a letter from President Bill Clinton, which Clinton sent him during his final days in office.

"Two young people on the same page. A young Bill Clinton and a young Alan Dershowitz," he explained when we met in his New York City office.

Dershowitz is one of the biggest legal minds in America. We went to the Big Apple to talk him specifically about Michigan's longest serving nonviolent juvenile offender, "White Boy" Rick Wershe. Dershowitz has examined the court pleadings and says Wershe's case doesn't add up.

Special Coverage: The Story of White Boy Rick

"When I read the record on this case, I said to myself, 'There is something I don't know here. There is something that is being kept from me, some information that the government has on this guy that they're not telling us,' and in a democracy you can't have secret files. Everything has to be out in the open," he said.

Read the full story here.


Eminem sells bricks from childhood home

If you're an Eminem fan, and you have some room on your mantle, this could be your lucky day.

To mark the 16th anniversary of The Marshall Mathers LP, Eminem is selling off the bricks of his childhood home in Detroit.

The house was destroyed in 2013, due to structural safety issues.

The 700 bricks come with a certificate of authenticity and an autograph.

A portion of the proceeds will go to the Marshall Mathers Foundation, which provides funds for organizations working with at-risk youth in Michigan and around the U.S.

You can read much more about this story here.


Lions killed after man jumps into zoo enclosure

Two lions were shot and killed at a zoo in the Chilean capital of Santiago after a man jumped into the big cats' enclosure.

The man climbed over the fence Saturday and removed his clothes before approaching the lions, according to a statement posted on the Santiago Metropolitan Zoo Facebook page.

He was apparently attempting suicide, and a note was found in his clothes, Chilean media reported.

Zoo staff shot and killed two of the lions with live rounds to protect the man, the zoo's statement said.

"Due to the circumstances and to firstly protect the life of this person, we found ourselves obliged to apply all of our security protocols," the zoo's statement reads.

Read the full story here.


Alligator ate Florida burglary suspect

Authorities have determined that a man drowned as a result of an alligator attack in November, the Brevard County Sheriff's Office said.

The body of Matthew Riggins, of Palm Bay, was found Nov. 23 in a Barefoot Bay lake.

During the late evening or early morning hours of Nov. 12 to Nov. 13, Riggins told his girlfriend that he was going to Barefoot Bay to commit burglaries with another person, deputies said.

At 2 a.m. Nov. 13, deputies arrived in the area of Tequesta Drive in Barefoot Bay after a resident called saying that two people dressed in black were walking behind houses in the area, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Two males were spotted on Royal Palm Boulevard during a search of the area. Upon seeing the deputies, the two fled on foot in an attempt to avoid apprehension, deputies said.

Deputies, assisted by the Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit and Aviation Unit, searched the area and did not find the burglary suspects.

It was later learned that Riggins had contacted his girlfriend during the time frame of the search, advising her that he and his companion were being chased by deputies, according to the Sheriff's Office. Riggins was reported to the Palm Bay Police Department later that day as a missing person, when he did not return home.

You can read the full story here.


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