MOTORCYCLE CHASE / CARJACKING ARMED ROBBERY
On Saturday, October 7, 2006 @ around 1:10 am, a 49-year-old Marine City man was pulling into the back yard of his girlfriends house in the 600 block of Camden in Ferndale. The man was driving a 2004 Harley Davidson motorcycle. He had been traveling on the nearby I-75 expressway when he observed an older compact white vehicle behind him. The vehicle followed the victim to the Camden location. When the victim got off the motorcycle to open the gate to the backyard two black males suddenly approached him. One man was heavy set with a mustache, braided hair; approx 35 years old and was armed with a black revolver. He was also holding a German style helmet. The other man was slender and approx 25-30 years old wearing a motorcycle helmet. The gunman stated, " Give me the keys, give me your bike and give me your wallet." The gunman held the firearm to Metcalf's left side while searching Metcalf. He removed keys, money and the victim’s wallet. The two men fled in an unknown direction. The victim immediately called the Ferndale Police.An observant Ferndale Police Officer spotted the armed assailant a short distance from where the Armed Robbery occurred. He writes the following: I activated my siren and attempted to stop the driver; however, he failed to stop and continued west on 8 mile to the turn-around at Stratford where he turned around onto to east bound 8 mile. At Livernois, the driver turned south and accelerated away from me at a speed well in excess of the posted speed limit (estimated to be 50-60 mph). With my emergency lights and siren activated I followed the driver south on Livernois at speeds between 50 and 70 miles per hour. Livernois between 8 mile and 7 mile is under construction with two lanes open for traffic in each direction, the speed limit through the construction zone is 25 mph. As we crossed W McNichols, the driver moved into the far right lane and ran through the red light missing two passing cars on McNichols (He continued to drive between 50-60 miles per hour). At Fenkel, the driver braked hard, passed several cars on the right side, then ran the red light and continued south on Livernois. Traffic on Livernois was light, and cross traffic was also light/non-existent. The driver continued to drive 50-60 miles per hour as we approached Oakman Blvd where he passed a car on the right then hit the brakes and appeared as if he was going to turn onto west bound Oakman Blvd. I passed the same car on the left then crossed over to turn; however, the driver accelerated hard and continued straight on Livernois almost colliding with my patrol car. At W. Davison/Livernois, the driver was in the far right lane and attempted a hard brake causing his motorcycle to swerve in the loose gravel and debris along the side of the road- I also attempted to brake hard; however, I slid in the same debris and tapped the motorcycle in the rear tire as he continued to slow down. Then he accelerated away from me and continued traveling south on Livernois. I backed off of the motorcycle to allow him space to pull over, he failed to stop and continued to speed up then make sudden slow downs causing me to take evasive maneuvers away from him. The driver accelerated back to 60 miles per hour- approximately half a mile south of W. Davison where he again braked hard. I attempted a hard braking maneuver, but was unable to stop and again tapped the motorcycle in the rear tire. The driver was unaffected by the contact and continued south on Livernois. As we approached the area of Grand River/Livernois and I-96/Livernois the driver used his left hand and put it out to the side and motioned for me to slow and possibly stop. I decreased my speed and gave the driver room to stop; but, he continued south without stopping and accelerated away from me at speeds of 60 miles per hour. We crossed the intersection of Joy/Livernois and he moved to the far right side of the roadway and started a gradual brake as if he were going to turn onto a side street. I also started moving to the right and started applying my brakes to stop. The driver let off of the brake as I moved behind him (brake light shut off on the motorcycle) and it appeared that he was going to accelerate away. I continued to slow down by applying my brakes- he then suddenly applied the brakes quickly and attempted a hard stop. I also attempted a hard brake from my gradual braking but was unable to stop and struck the motorcycle causing the driver to fall from the motorcycle. We collided approximately a cars length from near the north crosswalk of Linsdale/Livernois- I was able to come to a complete stop within the crosswalk and started to get out of my patrol car to apprehend the driver who had slid to approximately the middle of the intersection (the motorcycle continued south on Livernois without a driver eventually stopping at the east curb). As I exited my car he got up and ran west on Linsdale. I notified dispatch about the situation and was running west on Linsdale. Using my patrol car I followed the man onto Linsdale and into the back yard of 6342 Linsdale where I began a foot pursuit after him. The driver ran through the back yard and attempted to climb the rear fence I pointed my pistol at the man and ordered him to stop and to get onto the ground which and he complied. I handcuffed the man (double locked) without incident and waited for back-up officers to arrive. The driver is Earl Rembert, a 30-year-old Detroit man. He was charged with Armed Robbery, Car Jacking, and Fleeing and Eluding. He is in custody pending trial in the Oakland County Circuit Court. Ferndale Police Detectives were able to find and have identified the accomplice, his name is Ruemonda Goosby a 30-year-old Detroit man, he is charged with Armed Robbery and Carjacking as well. He went to trial and was found guilty as charged by a jury on March 9, 2007. He is pending sentencing.