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On June 8, 2011 at approximately 2:30 p.m. Kalamazoo Public Safety dispatch received a call from a citizen reporting a house fire in the 500 block of Axtell. The first units on scene reported fire on the front porch of the house. The fire spread quickly up the walls and into the attic. The sole occupant had vacated the house before Public Safety arrived.
No one was injured during the fire. Fire Marshal Williams is attempting to determine cause and origin of the fire.
By authority of: Lt Jay Kowalkowski
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The Douglass Community Association (DCA) has teamed up with the Black Police Officers’ Association of Kalamazoo County (BPOA) to host our 6th annual charity softball game titled “Kalamazoo’s Finest Softball Game.” The event will be held on Friday, June17, 2011 at Mayor’s River Front Park, Homer Stryker Field, starting at 6:30pm.
The game will feature Kalamazoo area Finest Public Safety Officers against a group of Kalamazoo’s Finest Athletes. The athletes’ team will include Chris Crawford (Atlanta Hawks), Steve Hawkins, Bill Cubit & Robin Hook (WMU), and four former and current NFL players, Duane Young, T.J. Duckett, Littlejohn Flowers, and 2011 Super Bowl Champion Greg Jennings.
This event will include a mascot game, silent auction and double as a resource fair with display booths from area youth-serving agencies that will distribute information about summer activities.
This event will also include a special tribute to fallen Kalamazoo Public Safety Officer Eric Zapata, who played in all of the previous “Kalamazoo Finest” games. Tickets are just $5, however; all police, fire, and emergency services personnel in uniform will be admitted free of charge. We also invite all off duty emergency personnel and their families to participate in the on field memorial by pre-ordering a t-shirt at 343-6187. A portion of t-shirt sales will be donated to the Cuff & Ladder Funds for the Zapata family.
Proceeds from this event benefit DCA’s youth programs. Since 1919 DCA has worked to address and resolve community issues while enhancing the quality of life for Kalamazoo residents.
By authority of: Captain Victor Ledbetter
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On June 7, 2011 at approximately 10 p.m. Kalamazoo Public Safety dispatch received a call from a citizen reporting that an unknown subject attempted to break into her home and then shot at her. The 53 year old Kalamazoo resident had left her kitchen window open. She happened to return to the kitchen to retrieve something and saw a subject at her back door and at the open window. The subject had slid the screen to the side.
She yelled at the subject. He in turn shot at her as she was turning away. The bullet grazed her and he ran off. The resident sustained a minor injury from being grazed. A K-9 officer attempted a track from the scene. The dog tracked for a distance before it ended. The suspect was not located.
The only description of the suspect provided was that of a tall, thin, African American male.
By authority of: Lt Jay Kowalkowski
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Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety continues to focus resources on identifying and extracting violent felons from our neighborhoods. As a result, on June 6, 2011, Kemberlyn Dwyane Trotman of Kalamazoo was sentenced to 110 months in Federal Prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Chief United States District Judge Paul L. Maloney imposed this sentence on Trotman.
Kemberlyn Trotman was charged in an indictment for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and for Possession with Intent to Deliver Cocaine Base (Crack Cocaine). The charges stemmed from a September 24, 2010 incident, when Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Officer Jeffrey Crouse stopped a vehicle driven by Trotman for a civil infraction traffic offense. During the traffic stop Trotman and PSO Crouse were involved in a struggle during which time a loaded handgun fell from Trotman’s waistband area. Officers recovered the handgun as well as a baggie that contained 66 individual packages of crack cocaine. Subsequently, the case was adopted for federal prosecution by the Kalamazoo Public Safety Task Force Officer assigned to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, Western District of Michigan.
This is another example of the successful prosecution of an armed convicted felon via the federal initiative known as Project Safe Neighborhood, which targets gun violence through adjudication in the federal system where violators receive longer sentences than in the state system and without the possibility of parole. Trotman, who has prior convictions for specified violent felony offenses, was a prime candidate for this initiative and received an enhanced sentence due to his criminal history classifying him as a career criminal.
Anyone with information regarding illegal drug or firearms activity is urged to contact KVET at 269-337-8880, or report an anonymous tip to Silent Observer at 269-343-2100 or www.kalamazoosilentobserver.com
By authority of: Captain Jon Uribe
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On Tuesday, June 7th, 2011 at approximately 00:40 a.m., Kalamazoo Public Safety Officers responded to a report of a house fire in the 1300 block of N. Park. Responding officers located an occupant of the burning house lying in the street with severe burns to his hands and arms. The occupant was cooking methamphetamine in the basement when it exploded catching the house on fire, burning him in the process. The fire was contained to the basement and was extinguished within fifteen minutes.
The injured occupant, a thirty year-old Kalamazoo resident was admitted to Bronson Hospital in stable condition. Kalamazoo Public Safety Officers and the Fire Marshal’s office are investigating the Meth Lab.
During fire suppression activities, several bystanders at the fire scene became involved in a physical altercation. Kalamazoo Public Safety Officers broke up the disturbance, arresting a thirty-three year-old female and a thirteen year-old male, both Kalamazoo residents.
Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call Kalamazoo Public Safety at 337-8994 or Silent Observer at 342-2100.
By authority of: Lt. Kevin Lenkart
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The costs associated with the clean-up of a single Methamphetamine drug laboratory can run into the thousands of dollars. For years, that expense was underwritten through a nationwide COPS Grant the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) managed.
On February 22, 2011, termination of funding for these critical services redirected clean-up cost liabilities to governmental budgets nationwide; and with an estimated financial liability of $1-5 thousand dollars per meth lab; a cost-effective remediation strategy would be needed. Locally, the potential financial liability was estimated to be about one to five hundred thousand dollars annually.
In response to this dilemma, Public Safety studied a variety of remediation strategies then consulted with out-state jurisdictions operating their own remediation programs and determined the DEA Container Program would be a cost-effective alternative. Officials consulted with representatives from the Department of Natural Resources (DNRE) and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) then partnered with the City of Kalamazoo’s Public Services Department and developed Michigan’s first OSHA compliant methamphetamine remediation program and container operation modeling it after the Kentucky State Police Program.
As crews from the Public Services Department and the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team (KVET) developed the container site, invitations were disseminated to State, County and municipal law enforcement agencies throughout southwestern Michigan offering interested agencies an opportunity to train their DEA Clandestine Drug Lab Investigators in Meth Lab Remediation (MRP) and Container Operations.
Once fully operational, the City’s multi-jurisdictional Container Program will be the first such program in Michigan to offer local governments throughout southwestern Michigan a cost-effective alternative to clandestine drug lab remediation contracting.
By authority of: Captain Jon Uribe
Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team
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On Thursday afternoon, June 2, 2011, a Kalamazoo Public Safety Officer received information from Kalamazoo Public Schools personnel that an unknown person attempted to pick up a 10-year-old 5th grader from a school bus stop at S. Rose/Balch St on Weds June 1, 2011, at approximately 3:25 p.m.
The suspect, a Caucasian male approx 34-36 years who had on a white baseball cap, was possibly driving an older, black Chevy Monte Carlo that was dusty and had silver stock rims. The suspect offered candy and a ride to the child several times, the offers were refused.
A guardian of the child thought that he might have seen the same suspect in the area yesterday afternoon also, but no further information was obtained.
Officers will be checking the areas of school bus stops before and after school for suspicious activity around students. We encourage parents, guardians, and citizens to call Public Safety if any suspicious activity is observed.
If anyone has information about this incident, please call the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety at 269-337-8994, or Silent Observer at 269-343-2100, or you may submit information at www.kalamazoosilentobserver.com
By authority of: Lt. Stacey Randolph
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On June 2, 2011, at approximately 11:50 a.m. Kalamazoo Public Safety Officers responded to the 1300 Block of Mills Street near Stockbridge after receiving reports of gunshot victim there.
Arriving officers found a Kalamazoo man at the scene with a gunshot wound. The victim was transported to a local hospital and his injuries are considered non life threatening. With the help of witnesses, investigating officers were able to identify, locate, and arrest two suspects in this case. The case is still under investigation.
Anyone with further information is encouraged to call Kalamazoo Public Safety at 269-337-8994, or Silent Observer of Kalamazoo at 269-342-2100 or at www. kalamazoosilentobserver.com.
By authority of:
Lt Roberto Zuniga
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On May 7, 2011, at approximately 12:00 pm, Kalamazoo Public Safety Officers responded to the report of a house fire in the 1400 block of Jefferson. The first officers on scene reported smoke coming from several windows and the roof. Over fifteen Public Safety Officers responded and were quickly able to extinguish the fire within ten minutes.
The fire’s origin was determined to be in the basement where the home’s main living area was located. The house, a single family residence, sustained moderate damage to the basement. Fire was determined to be accidental and started by / on the kitchen stove.
By authority of: Lt. Stacey Geik
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On Saturday, May 07, 2011, at approximately 3:30 pm, Kalamazoo Public Safety Officers responded to reports of gunfire in the 800 block of Burrell St near Lawrence. Responding officers quickly arrived, secured the area, and located a gun shot victim down on the ground behind a residence in the 800 block of Burrell.
The male victim, 25 of Kalamazoo, was conscious but suffered from three gun shot wounds, two to the legs and one to the arm. The victim was transported to Bronson Hospital where he remains in stable condition.
The victim’s cooperation is less than ideal at the current time recalling only that someone drove by in an unknown vehicle and shot him. Officers are investigating this shooting attempting to identify suspects.
Anyone who may have witnessed this shooting, or who may have information pertaining to it, is asked to call Public Safety @ 337-8994 or Silent Observer at 343-2100 or www.kalamazoosilentobserver.com.
By authority of: Lt. Stacey Geik
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