Ferndale Police Report: Suspect Hit After Fleeing Police from Road Rage Incident
(Lt. William Wilson, Ferndale Police Department, Oct. 8, 2013)
On 10/04/13 at about 10:45 a.m. a Ferndale Patrol Officer was flagged down on 9 Mile near Hilton by the driver’s of two vehicles. The officer and driver’s of the vehicles pulled into a parking lot. The vehicle driver’s had just been involved in a road rage incident where one woman (Tippet) reportedly threw a cup of hot coffee on the other driver. While the officer was investigating the incident, Tippet fled from the parking in a Chevy Cruze. Her son (Rhodes) was front seat passenger.
Tippet fled at high rates of speeds (up to approx. 80 mph) on 9 Mile, Hilton, and 8 Mile roads. She then turned n.b. onto Hilton and slowed to let her son (Rhodes), who was dressed as a woman, out of the rolling car. He then ran and was chased by police on foot. Rhodes ran s.b. across 8 Mile road through traffic. He ran through seven lanes of traffic, and was hit by a car in the eighth lane. He then tried to continue running, but was caught by police. Rhodes suffered apparent minor injuries and was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Officers arrested the mother (Tippet) who then claimed to be having medical problems. While being checked out by medics, she spit on one of the police officers. She was taken to the hospital, then cleared for incarceration.
The prosecutor authorized a multi-count warrant for Tippet who was arraigned Saturday by Magistrate Patterson. She was charged with Fleeing and Eluding, Resisting Police, and Driving While License Suspended. Bond was set at $75,000.
Both mother and son had several warrants out for their arrest out of Washtenaw Co. Rhodes warrants included one for Resisting and Obstructing.
Tippet’s warrants included two for assault.
ARRESTED:
TIPPET-RHODES, Latanya, b/f, 50 yrs, Plymouth resident
RHODES, Drake Rashard, b/m, 23 yrs, Plymouth resident.
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