Police Report: Citizen Arrests Car Thief and Storm/ Damage Reports

(Lt. William Wilson, Ferndale Police Department, 9/4/2011)

On 09/02/11 at about 11:45 p.m. Ferndale police responded to a car theft in
progress in the parking lot near Withington / 9 Mile roads. Police arrived
quickly, but much of their work was already done as the victim caught
somebody stealing his car and arrested the thief. The victim and his wife
were celebrating the wife’s birthday at the Boogie Fever Bar. They returned
from the dance floor and noticed the woman’s purse was missing. Her husband
(a 46 year old Northville Twp. man) was concerned because keys to their
house and car were in the purse. He went to the parking lot in time to see
somebody beginning to steal his car. The victim approached the car as it
backed out of the parking space, opened the door, and confronted the crook.
The suspect responded by shifting the car into drive and moving forward; he
crashed into two parked cars. The victim then dragged the suspect out of the
car, wrestled him down, and held him for police.

Officers arrived, handcuffed the suspect, and arrested him. It turns out
that the suspect was drunk and had a suspended driver’s license. He also has
prior criminal convictions for felonies.

The suspect, DAVID JEROME BUCHANAN ( b/m, 43 yrs, Detroit resident) was
arraigned Saturday on charges of UDAA (Unlawful Driving Away Auto), LIB
(Larceny In Building), OWI with a blood level above .17, and Driving while
license suspended. Magistrate Patterson set bond at $100,000.

STORM:

Over 6300 residents are without power since storms hit Ferndale last night
shortly after 8:30 p.m. Ferndale Police and Fire responded to over 90
weather related calls from down wires, downed trees (some falling on houses
and cars), burning wires, etc..

There was a lot of property damage suffered from the storm, but fortunately
there were no reported injuries.