Full Notification

The Columbia Township Police Department recently completed an investigation following a fleeing and eluding incident that occurred on August 11, 2015.

On that date, just after midnight, Officer Kevin Szentmiklosi was stationary on M-50 North of Brooklyn when he observed a vehicle traveling northbound at a high rate of speed. Officer Szentmiklosi activated his emergency lights and siren, and gave chase. The suspect and vehicle (a 2001 Dodge Ram pickup) continued northbound, and just South of the Village of Napoleon, the vehicle went off-road, and through a chain-link fence of a business, landing in the parking lot of the business.

Upon approaching the vehicle, the driver had fled the vehicle and scene, leaving an adult male passenger with the vehicle. The passenger was taken into temporary custody. Efforts to locate the driver that night were not successful. A follow-up interview with the passenger was conducted at the Columbia Township office. He could not provide the full name of the driver of the vehicle.

Continued investigation that night led to Brooklyn Ford, where it was determined that a new vehicle on the lot had been broken into, and several items from it were stolen. Those items were recovered from the suspect vehicle. Both the suspect vehicle and the vehicle at Brooklyn Ford were processed for evidence.

The investigation eventually identified the driver of the 2001 Dodge Ram pickup, and on November 10, 2015, Sgt. Niles located Steve Wynale Griffin in Detroit, where he was arrested based on probable cause. He was then transported to the Jackson County jail, where he was lodged.

The report was then submitted to the Jackson County prosecutor, and on November 12, 2015, Steve Wynale Griffin, 46, of Detroit, was charged with Third Degree Fleeing and Eluding, a 5 year felony, and Larceny Less than $200.00, a 93 day misdemeanor.

Griffin has since been arraigned and is being held on $20,000.00 cash/surety bond.