Shots fired at officers during pursuit after hotel robbery involving clown in Livonia

Man wearing clown mask robs Days Inn in Livonia

LIVONIA, Mich. – Shots were fired at Livonia police Thursday morning during a pursuit after a hotel robbery, according to police sources.

The robbery occurred at the Days Inn in Livonia. Sources say the man was wearing a clown mask.

The incident follows a string of robberies involving people dressed as clowns in southeast Michigan and across the country.

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The gunman was driving a blue Chevy Malibu and a police pursuit was underway, leading officers across several cities. The Malibu has no license plates.

Dashcam video shows the cars hitting speeds of more than 90 mph. The Malibu turned right in front of a Livonia police officer and the chase was on.

Sources say shots were fired at police officers while the chase continued along Merriman Road and Ann Arbor Trail. Witnesses say they heard multiple gunshots.

Michelle Damron said she heard the shots and told her son to get down.

"Move, those are gunshots," Damron said. "Get away from those windows."

Nobody was hit by the shots and there were no injuries in the chase, police said.

The gunman escaped, sparking a massive manhunt. Police believe he's the same man in a clown mask who robbed a BP and a Domino's in Ann Arbor late Tuesday. He's also believed to have hit a Walgreens in Brownstown Township Wednesday and the Livonia Embassy Suites in Livonia Thursday morning.

"A clown guy with a clown costume on," a hotel desk described.

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Surveillance video from the hotel shows a blue Malibu arriving and a man in a hooded sweatshirt getting out of the driver seat and enters the hotel.

Once inside the hotel lobby, the man can be seen standing at the front counter pointing a gun. The man walked around the lobby, pointing the gun out in front of him.

"He said, 'Give me all the money, give me all the money,'" Kush Solanki, the Days Inn manager, said.

"I was so afraid of that," Sid Babburi, who works at the Days Inn front desk, said. "This is the first experience with that."

This time, it was the robber who got scared and ran out without any money. But he's still out there.

Afterwards, video shows the man back in the Malibu, pulling away from the hotel lobby.

You can see the surveillance footage in the video clips posted below.

READ: Embassy Suites in Livonia robbed at gunpoint by man wearing clown mask

Stay with Local 4 and ClickOnDetroit.com throughout the day for updates to this developing story.

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About the Authors

Local 4 Defender Shawn Ley is an Emmy award-winning journalist who has been with Local 4 News for more than a decade.

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.

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