Every first responder knows that life can change in an instant.

Warren police officer Nick Kott was off duty, hunting with his dad on their property in Gladwin on the afternoon of Nov. 16 when he slipped and fell out of a tree blind. When he did not return to his cabin at the expected time, his father walked to the area his son said he would be and found him conscious and motionless on the ground where he had been for more than an hour.

He was rushed to Midland Hospital, then airlifted to University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor where he is currently in critical condition in Neuro-ICU.

According to his wife, Holli, who spoke to the media during a press conference Thursday, Kott suffered a serious neck injury and is on a ventilator and has no feeling from his neck down. The doctors have told her it is too early to determine if he will regain movement of his limbs.

“He was able to mouth some words to me today which is the first time we’ve been able to communicate,” Holli said. “I’m asking for prayers and I’m asking specifically for prayers for Nick to regain use of his hands and arms so he can play with his son who is his best friend.

“I know this is going to be a very, very, very long road.”

Holli said she and her husband met when they were neighbors and their dogs took a liking to each other and liked to play together. They still live in that same Waterford Township neighborhood in a two-story house Holli said will need major renovations in order for her husband to be able to come home.

“My number one thing I want Nick to be able to do,” Holli said through tears, “is to tuck his best friend in at night and we have a two-story house.

“If we could just get Jack up the stairs to tuck in his baby boy, our 7-year-old son Jack, I need your help and support to do that.”

Holli praised the Gladwin firefighters and police who transported her husband to Midland Hospital, doctors and nurses at both Midland and University of Michigan hospitals, and Warren police for their help during this time of crisis.

“This has been an absolute nightmare that I can’t wake up out of,” said Holli. “I’m only getting through this because of the love and support from the Warren Police Department and the surrounding police departments.”

Holli said one police officer came and fixed a broken backyard swing for Jack while others are coming to clean gutters and do the fall cleanup tasks that Nick usually handles.

Kott joined the Warren Police Department in 2011.

“This department has been his life; they are his brothers and his sisters and they have proved that this week,” Holli said.

Kott’s family will need help paying for medical bills and making home renovations to accommodate Nick when he gets home. A GoFundMe has raised $29,585 toward a $40,000 goal. Donations can be made at gofund.me/6fa96708.

“As police officers, we are good at responding to other people’s emergencies, but it’s a gut check when it is one of your own,” said Warren Lt. John Gajewski.

Officials confirmed no one was killed in an explosion at a condominium complex Tuesday night in Lake Orion, and the two people injured remain hospitalized but their conditions were improving as of late Wednesday afternoon.

“It’s an absolute miracle, an absolute miracle — if you’ve seen this scene — (that) currently we’re talking about no fatalities,” Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett said during a news conference Wednesday afternoon from Orion Township Hall.

Fire Chief Ryan Allen said an investigation continues into the cause and origin of the explosion at the Keatington New Town Association and is expected to take “a little over a week.” The explosion destroyed 18 units, displacing multiple residents, and caused damage to about a dozen more, Allen said.

First responders were dispatched to the two-story building on Pine Ridge Court between Joslyn and Baldwin roads after the explosion occurred around 6:30 p.m., officials said.

Little information has been released yet on the two people injured, but Allen said one was in non-critical, stable condition and the other in guarded condition which “is between serious and stable condition.”

According to Consumers Energy Vice President Christopher Fultz, crews found no abnormalities in the system from the gas main to the meter which is the extent of the utility company’s responsibility. Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said a resident reported she had detected the smell of gas just before the explosion and is part of the investigation.

Allen reminds residents that if they ever have concerns about a possible gas leak to exit the home and contact the fire department by calling either the emergency or non-emergency number.

Barnett noted that there’s been “an incredible show of support” from the community in response to what he described as “a horrific incident.” And it’s what can be expected, he said.

“I’d put our community against any community when it comes to things like this. We step up,” he said. “It’s horrible what happened, but if ever (something like this) happens, you’re lucky if it happens in Orion Township.”

Victims in need of immediate support are encouraged to call the American Red Cross at 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or Orion Township offices at 248-391-0304 ext. 2009.

Those interested in helping can provide monetary donations through Love INC of Northern Oakland County by calling 248-693-4357 or online at https://loveincofnoc.org/.

Clothing and food donations can be dropped off at Woodside Bible Church, located in Canterbury Village, 2500 Joslyn Road. Those in need of food can visit Woodside’s Village Food Pantry, also located in Canterbury Village, at 2325 Joslyn Court. Reach the pantry by calling 248–391-1900.

Bouchard cautions residents that it’s likely there will be scammers attempting to profit through false charities, so only donate to organizations listed above and any others listed on social media pages for Orion Township or the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.

Tribune News Service contributed to this report.

A Florida man pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal charges for threatening an American Muslim organization in Michigan last year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan announced.

Michael Shapiro, 72, faced one count of transmitting threats in interstate commerce after calling six times and leaving three threatening voicemails to the Council on American-Islamic Relations Michigan.

The West Palm Beach resident also admitted to intentionally targeting CAIR-MI with threats because of the actual and perceived religion and national origin of people who work at or are assisted by the organization, officials said in a press release.

Shapiro could serve up to five years’ incarceration for his guilty plea or pay a fine of up to $250,000, according to a plea agreement filed with the court on Tuesday.

He also faces up to three years of supervised release.

“No one should be able to threaten violence and instill fear on an entire community,” U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said in a statement. “Today’s conviction should send a strong message that those who do so will be investigated, identified, and aggressively prosecuted.”

His attorney, Elizabeth Young, was not immediately available to respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

Shapiro first called CAIR-MI’s Canton Township office on Dec. 8 at 6:43 p.m. and left a voicemail laughing maniacally and twice saying “I’m going to kill you bastards,” according to the plea agreement.

He left another threatening voicemail six days later, investigators reported.

“I’m going to kill you mother f******g bastards,” Shapiro said in the 1:02 p.m. voicemail. “Muslims! I’m going to kill you mother f*****s. I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you!”

He also called the next day, on Dec. 15 at 6:24 p.m.

“You’re a violent people,” Shapiro said. “Why do you come to America? Why do you come to Europe? Mother f******s. You’re violent. You’re killers. You’re rapists. I’m going to kill you mother f*****s!”

When prosecutors unsealed the grand jury indictment against Shapiro, CAIR-MI officials said the threat was among others as the war in Gaza escalated.

Shapiro’s case is the third time he has been charged in the last five years with federal crimes and has been accused of threatening U.S. Capitol Police officers, a member of Congress and their child, according to federal court records reviewed by The Detroit News.

Officials with CAIR-MI are pleased with the results of the case, Amy Doukoure, a staff attorney with the organization, told The News.

“What he’s doing is very serious,” Doukoure said. “We had to close our business for several days. He was calling every day — we didn’t know where he was, whether he was serious. It was a very scary and serious incident, and we’re happy that it’s over and he has pled guilty and will be sentenced to jail time.”

Discrimination complaints to CAIR-MI rose by over 340% in the three months after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks compared to the three months leading up to it, officials said in a 2023 CAIR-MI Civil Rights Report.

Reports of anti-Muslim bias incidents, including hate crimes, education and employment discrimination, surged in 2023, according to the report. Officials attributed the increase in complaints to increased anti-Muslim sentiment following media coverage of Israel’s attacks in Gaza.

The past year brought a record number of hate crime complaints to CAIR-MI, paralleled only by reports in 2018, according to the report.

CAIR-MI officials also recently called on the University of Michigan to conduct an independent investigation into the school’s “pattern of disparate treatment” of UM Muslim and Arab students.

In other recently reported hate crime cases, a Michigan man was sentenced in June for defacing a Jewish synagogue with swastikas and white supremacist group images.

A Warren man was also charged in March for spray painting swastikas and other graffiti on a predominantly Black church and in a Warren park’s public bathroom.

The man slain recently in Waterford Township —- found fatally shot outside the MJR theater complex on M-59 — was a 28-year-old White Lake Township resident identified in court documents as Antonn Cecil Richard Thomas.

According to the filed complaint, the killing allegedly involved a drug deal, occurring “while in the perpetration or attempted perpetration of delivery and/or conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance.”

Waterford Police Chief Scott Underwood has declined to release the name of the victim, telling The Oakland Press in an email last week that it’s “not that unusual” to do so and is done “quite often” — but didn’t specify why for this case.

The accused killers, 24-year-old Mike Vladislav Kruglik of West Bloomfield and 26-year-old Jesse Del Jordan Bradshaw of New Boston, are charged with first-degree felony murder. Felony murder is when someone is killed during the commission of a felony.

Denied bond at their Nov. 12 arraignment before 51st District Judge Richard Kuhn, Kruglik and Bradshaw are held in the Oakland County Jail. They are scheduled to return to court Wednesday for a probable cause conference.

Thomas was found shot outside the MJR Waterford Cinema on Nov. 7. As previously reported, a news release from the Waterford Police Department stated that that a 911 call came in at around 11:30 p.m. about a man “down from an apparent gunshot wound” in the theater parking lot at 7501 Highland Road. Shot in the upper chest, he was treated at the scene by Waterford Regional Fire Department personnel and then transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Kruglik was arrested on Nov. 8 after police executed a search warrant in West Bloomfield Township. Bradshaw was arrested later that day in New Boston, where the vehicle believed to have been used in the homicide was also located, police said.

Sentencing was handed down Tuesday to two more men convicted of a Troy home invasion — among a group of five men believed to be part of an international crime ring and in the United States illegally.

Their minimum sentences for the felonies could have them released in less than a year, court records show.

At a Nov. 12 hearing in Oakland County Circuit Court, Judge Victoria Valentine sentenced Luis Felipe Camargo, aka Alberto Franco Jimenez, aka Franco Venezolana to 9 months – 15 years for the Aug. 1 daytime break-in on Millay Drive. The other man, Owen Jean Cortes, was sentenced to 12 months – 15 years for the home invasion, and 12 months – 10 years for possession of burglary tools. Both were credited with 103 days — more than three months — already served in the Oakland County Jail.

Camargo, 44, from Mexico, pleaded no contest to second-degree home invasion in September, and prosecutors dismissed a charge of driving with a suspended license. Cortes, 25, from Colombia, also pleaded no contest to his two charges.

The three other men connected to the Troy break-in — Colombians Omar Giovvany Rodriguez-Aponte, Michel Alba Rincon and Geovanny Castellanos-Forero — also opted out of trial by pleading to charges. Rincon and Castellanos-Forero pleaded guilty to second-degree home invasion in August, and were subsequently sentenced by Valentine to nine months to 15 years in prison. Rodriguez-Aponte pleaded no contest to second-degree home invasion in October and is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 26.

According to the Troy Police Department, the break-in was detected by a homeowner who spotted a masked intruder while watching a security camera set up in his residence. The homeowner was reportedly at work at the time. It was later determined multiple suspects were involved in the home invasion. The Department of Homeland Security has indicated there’s “probable cause to believe (all five) are here (in the United States) illegally,” police said.

Issues with the five men’s immigration status will be handled by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office said.

Another Colombian pleads in Troy home invasion case

Another defendant pleads in Troy home invasion case tied to international crime ring

Another Colombian enters plea in Troy home break-in

Pleas, trial set for cases against suspected members of international crime ring charged in Troy home invasion

Colombians sentenced for Troy home break-in

Police: 5 suspects nabbed for home invasion; likely part of international crime ring

A storage unit at an apartment complex in Bloomfield Township was reported broken into Sunday, police said.

According to the Bloomfield Township Police Department, a resident of the apartment complex near South Opdyke and East Square Lake roads said he found the storage unit door damaged at around 1:30 p.m. and a 24-inch television valued at $100 was missing.

Anyone with more information on the incident is asked to call the Bloomfield Township Police Department at 248-433-7755.

4 charged in block party shooting that killed 2 teens, injured 4 from Pontiac and a Detroiter

A 15-year-old Pontiac girl hasn’t been seen by her family since reportedly running away from home seven weeks ago, and the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help to find her.

According to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, Ta’liah Sparks’ family said they last saw her on Sept. 20 when she left home. She has been active on social media but has not responded to her family members in their efforts to connect with her, the sheriff’s office said.

Ta’liah is described as 5 feet 8 inches tall,  weighing 220 pounds, and with black hair and brown eyes. Anyone who may have seen her or knows her whereabouts is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 248-858-4950.

Man shot dead in Waterford; suspect in custody

Federal trial scheduled for felon accused of making threat with loaded gun at school

A Commerce man who killed a motorcyclist in a traffic crash has been sent to jail.

On Wednesday in 52-1 District Court, Judge Robert Bondy sentenced 60-year-old Khim Lal Ghimire to 90 days in the Oakland County Jail, allowing 20 days of community service in lieu of jail. Also, Ghimire was fined $3,075 and has to pay court costs and other fees.

Ghimire pleaded no contest last month to a misdemeanor charge of moving violation causing death for the June crash that resulted in the death of Joshua Steven Moomaw of Commerce Township.

Moomaw, 40, was on a 2006 Harley-Davidson motorcycle on Wixom Road, waiting to turn left onto Stratford Villa Way at the Stratford Villa mobile home community entrance, when he was hit from behind by a 2019 Toyota Sienna driven by Ghimire, according to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office. Moomaw wasn’t wearing a helmet; he died from his injuries eight days later, the sheriff’s office said.

Moomaw’s 41-year-old wife, a passenger on the motorcycle, was injured but survived. She wasn’t wearing a helmet either, the sheriff’s office said.

Ghimire wasn’t injured, the sheriff’s office said, and neither drugs nor alcohol were found to be factors in the crash as investigated by the Oakland County Sheriff’s crash reconstruction unit.

The Oakland County Jail roster shows Ghimire was booked into the jail shortly after 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 6.

Once he completes his jail sentence, Ghimire will be on probation for 11 months.

Moomaw’s obituary states, in part: “A devoted family man, Josh celebrated his 21 years of being with his wife, Monica, shortly before his passing. Together, they shared a love for riding Harley-Davidson motorcycles and created a lifetime of cherished memories. His children, Lacee and Logan, were his pride and joy, and he cherished every moment spent with them.”

A woman in her 70s was killed in a fire at a condominium complex on Monday, which also left three other residents and a firefighter injured, officials said.

Residents of 16 of the complex’s 17 units were left homeless due to the fire that happened in the 25000 block of Southfield Road, according to the Southfield Fire Department.

The residents hurt in the fire suffered injuries not believed to be life-threatening, and the firefighter sustained a minor injury while battling the blaze, according to the fire department.

“Our hearts hurt for our neighbors,” Fire Chief Johnny Menifee stated in a news release. “A family lost a loved one, and many of our friends and neighbors have lost their homes and possessions. We feel for them and grieve with them.”

The apartment complex was gutted, the news release states.

The fire department reports that an emergency call came in at 2:13 p.m., and firefighters were on scene in four minutes.

“Upon arrival, fire crews encountered smoke and flames that had already self-vented from the rear of the building,” the news release states. Mutual aid was provided by Birmingham, Bloomfield Township, Farmington Hills, Ferndale, Madison Heights and Royal Oak fire departments.

Menifee expressed appreciation for assistance from the Salvation Army, Red Cross, Southfield Emergency Management, Southfield Department of Public Works, Southfield Building Department, DTE, Consumers Energy, and Southfield and Lathrup Village police departments.

“We are also grateful to our mutual aid partners for their expertise and collaboration, which were crucial in bringing this tragic incident under control,” he stated. “We commend the dedication and bravery of all Southfield firefighters and paramedics who responded.”

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Menifee urges all residents to make sure they have working smoke detectors in their homes and businesses, and consider installing sprinkler systems to reduce fire risks.

According to the news release, as of Nov. 1 in Michigan, 78 people have lost their lives in 75 fires this year — a 17% decrease from fire-related deaths in 2017 through 2023. Of the victims, 63% were male and 37% female. The vast majority — 73% — were between the ages of 40 and 79.

Police: Man says someone stole $24K-plus from bank account using stolen checks with forged signature

Police seek 2 women who allegedly stole $3K in perfume 

Bloomfield Township police are investigating a reported retail fraud where two women allegedly stole approximately $3,000 in perfume from the Ulta Beauty store on South Telegraph Road.

A customer reportedly called police from inside the store after allegedly seeing the woman stealing merchandise, at around 8 p.m. on Nov. 2. Offices arrived to find the suspects had left in an unknown direction and an unknown means of travel, police said.

The store manager described one suspect as a black female, approximately 20 to 30 years old, with shoulder-length straight black hair. She was wearing a black zip-up top and gray leggings at the time. The other suspect was described as a black female, approximately 20 to 30 years old, with long braided hair. She was wearing a white jacket and gray leggings at the time.

Anyone with further information on the case is asked to call the Bloomfield Township Police Department at 248-433-7755.

A 72-year-old Rochester Hills man remains hospitalized in “grave condition” three days after he was struck by a car while crossing a road, officials said.

There’s no word yet on possible charges for the driver, a 28-year-old Colombian who’s in the United States illegally, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said on Wednesday.

According to the sheriff’s office, the driver was in a 2013 Ford Focus when he reportedly hit the pedestrian at around 6:45 a.m. on Nov. 3 near the intersection of Rochester and Avon roads in Rochester Hills. The pedestrian was wearing a reflective vest, walking westbound on Avon Road, and hit while crossing Rochester Road. It’s believed he was struck while in a marked crosswalk, the sheriff’s office said.

Paramedics with the Rochester Hills Fire Department transported the injured man to an area hospital.

The sheriff’s office said alcohol, drugs and/or excessive speed don’t appear to have been factors in the crash, which is being investigated by its Crash Reconstruction Unit.

The driver is expected to have a hearing in federal court regarding his illegal immigration status, as determined by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the sheriff’s office said.

Appeals court upholds sentence for man who killed Pontiac couple in 2018 during planned marijuana robbery

Man who stabbed another repeatedly in presence of children sentenced in Oakland County

A man who attacked his estranged wife and her male friend in Farmington Hills — stabbing the male friend repeatedly — is headed to prison.

At a sentencing hearing Nov. 4 in Oakland County Circuit Court, Judge Kwame Rowe ordered Curtis Leroy Washington, Jr. to 51 months -15 years behind bars for the Sept. 29, 2023 assault at the Timber Ridge Apartments.

Washington, 36, pleaded no contest in September to two counts of assault with intent to murder and domestic violence-second offense. A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as such for sentencing purposes. It can also offer some liability protection in civil cases.

Jail credit of 402 days for the assault charges and jail credit for 365 days for the domestic violence charge were acknowledged at sentencing.

Washington broke into his estranged wife’s home in the apartment complex and used a knife to stab her male friend, a then-32-year-old Warren resident. Police Chief Jeff King said children were present during the attack.

Officers at the scene reported that when they arrived they saw Washington pushing on the victim’s chest in an attempt to make him bleed out from his injuries, King said.

King credited responding officers for life-saving measures they performed at the scene. The victim had been stabbed multiple times.

At the time of the incident, Washington had a domestic violence charge against him for assaulting his wife but had been released on a personal bond. He was again arrested at the scene of the stabbing.

Teens charged in connection with deputy’s murder were out on bond for other cases when slaying happened

Killer gets chance for freedom after judge tosses life sentence

Judge reduces bond for 1 of 3 charged in connection with deputy’s slaying

A mid-Michigan man could be facing charges in connection with an alleged road rage confrontation on I-75 in Oakland County.

According to Michigan State Police, a state trooper conducting construction zone enforcement along the freeway on Monday morning was notified by the Detroit Regional Communication Center that a road rage/felonious assault with a handgun had occurred, and was provided a description of the suspect’s vehicle and license plate.

The trooper located the vehicle in heavy traffic in the construction zone and got additional information from a telephone interview, MSP said.

The vehicle was pulled over and the driver, a 38-year-old Ovid man, had a pistol, MSP said. The man was detained, processed and jailed, and his firearm was confiscated. Review by the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office is pending.

“Unfortunately, we still see drivers that can’t let minor traffic infractions go.” MSP First Lt. Mike Shaw stated on X. “This is one time that heavy construction traffic was actually a good thing, and helped get the suspect off the street before anyone was hurt.”

MDOC launching new system to stop contraband in ‘privileged’ mail to inmates

Trial scheduled for man accused of raping, killing infant

Two Mt. Pleasant Police officers are being credited for saving the life of a woman from a burning vehicle after an accident Sunday night – the eve of National First Responders Day.

Mt. Pleasant Police Chief Paul Lauria on Monday showed a body cam video from the scene of the accident during a regular meeting of the city commission.

Telling commissioners that public safety jobs are often thankless and dangerous, Lauria said he wanted to show a small piece of what police and firefighters do on a regular basis.

Watch video from the police here.

Lauria showed the two-minute video that began with Sgt. Jonathon Straus and Officer Tyler Burrows responding to an accident shortly before 10 p.m. at the north Mission roundabout, running toward the vehicle when it was fully engulfed in flames, and using an axe to carefully cut a large enough hole in the windshield to get the 22-year-old Sterling Heights woman out of the car, which was on its side.

“I can guarantee you, another 20 seconds and there would have been a death on our hands,” Lauria said after the body cam video ended, noting that the victim was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Lauria said police and firefighters don’t need to be thanked for what they do, but he wanted to highlight on the day set aside to honor first responders the dangers they face, never knowing what the next day, hour or minute will bring.

Lauria, who told commissioners he and other first responders spent part of the day Monday at a school, daycare center and retirement home to celebrate First Responders Day, said he wants residents to know they can be proud of their police and fire departments, and that they can be confident in the abilities of their first responders.

“I challenge any of you to find a police department that responds to a vehicle on its side, gas and fuel leaking out of it,” Lauria said. “Most people would have swung that axe at the front windshield.

“You don’t know where the victim is on the inside.”

Instead of swinging the axe with full force, first responders were careful to not cause further injury to the victim, Lauria said.

Lauria’s comments were met with applause from those attending Monday night’s city commission meeting.