Romulus Police Officer suspended after VBT road-rage incident

By Rosemary K. Otzman
Independent Editor
On Friday, June 6, Romulus Police Captain Derran Shelby verified that an off-duty Romulus police officer involved in a road-rage incident in Van Buren Township on May 29 has been suspended.
Captain Shelby said until the investigative process is complete, the officer has been suspended.
“Inappropriate behavior will not be condoned or tolerated,” Captain Shelby said in a news release. “All allegations of misconduct are immediately investigated.”
Captain Shelby said the Romulus Police Department became aware of a traffic-related altercation involving an off-duty Romulus police officer.
“Based on the information provided to us by the Van Buren Township Police Department, the officer’s action may be criminal in nature.”
Local individuals close to the situation identify the officer as a former part-time Belleville police officer who abruptly quit the Belleville department and went to work for Romulus. He is a resident of Van Buren Township.
“The Van Buren Township department and Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office are conducting a thorough review of the incident. An internal investigation into the off-duty officer’s actions has been initiated by the Romulus Police Department,” Captain Shelby said.
According to unconfirmed reports, the off-duty police officer pulled his 40-caliber service revolver on a motorist after the two vehicles mirrors touched when driving in the construction zone on Belleville Road at I-94 at about 3:20 p.m., May 29.
He reportedly threatened to kill the motorist if he ever touched the officer’s mirror again. The motorist reportedly was a Romulus business owner.
VBT police were dispatched for a “weapons violation” call and reportedly stopped the officer in the Farmer Jack shopping center. They did not arrest him or take him into custody. He was allowed to retain his weapon.
Five days after the incident with the Romulus officer, where no charges had been filed, VBT had a second, similar report.
Just before 3 p.m. on June 3, VBT police received a complaint against an 18-year-old male motorist who also was accused of a “weapons violation” after an altercation with two other drivers who reportedly were blocking the road at the I-94 South Service Drive and Denton Road.
After VBT police ran the reported plate, they called the teen’s father, since the truck was in the father’s name. The father told his son to go to the VBT police station and talk to them, which he did.
But, the teen was handcuffed and put in the lockup. He gave police permission to search his truck. Reportedly, no gun was found, only a paint spray can with a pistol pull trigger on it, which the teen said he was holding when he gave the other motorists “the finger.”
Late in the day last Thursday, a week after the Romulus police officer incident and while the teen was still in custody, VBT Police Lt. Ken Floro told the Independent he took requests for two warrants to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s office.
Later that day, Lt. Floro said one of the requests was denied and the Prosecutor’s office was considering the other, but didn’t specify which.
Late Tuesday afternoon (June 10), VBT Public Safety Director Greg Laurain said the Prosecutor’s office still is investigating VBT’s request for a warrant against the Romulus officer. He said because the Prosecutor’s office is short-staffed, sometimes these requests take a while to process. Also, he said, the Prosecutor’s office often re-interviews witnesses before making a decision.
It was learned through sources in the community that the teenager was held in the VBT lockup for 48 hours and then released without charges when the Prosecutor’s office turned down VBT’s request for a warrant against him.
The Romulus Police Department is in the process of recovering from a police scandal that involved the former police chief and his wife and five detectives, with them all being arraigned at 34th District Court in 2011.
Sandra St. Andre was sentenced to 7-20 years after being found guilty by a jury in January. Her husband, former Romulus Police Chief Michael St. Andre, this month entered a guilty plea to corruption charges in Wayne County Circuit Court during a pre-trial hearing. He will be sentenced Oct. 17 and will serve five years as part of his plea agreement.
Three other officers pled guilty and were sentenced to periods of probation and two are facing trials in the coming months.