Detroit police pursuing suspected members of 'extremely violent group'

Suspected members of a group believed to be connected to two fatal shootings and other crimes fled Detroit police Saturday with one suspect barricading himself in a stranger's home, police said.

"This is an extremely violent group," Detroit Police Chief James White said in a Facebook post. "We've identified them as a criminal group because of the activities that they've been involved in over the past four days. ... We don't know how far the group expands but we know we're looking for three."

White said the suspects are believed to either be connected to or have information about a fatal shooting and robbery at a coney island on Joy and Evergreen roads, a non-fatal shooting in the 13600 block of Grand River Avenue, a carjacking in the 11400 block of Ohio Street, and a fatal shooting in the 14600 block of West Chicago.

Officers were pursuing the suspects around 6:30 p.m. Saturday. White said officers saw a vehicle, attempted to make a traffic stop, the occupants in the vehicle fled, and eventually dumped the vehicle in the 17700 block of Trinity Street.

Two suspects ran from the vehicle and were pursued by helicopter. The third suspect, described as a tall, thin man in his 20s, wearing white pants and a black hooded sweatshirt, was believed to have entered a home in the area and was believed to be "armed and dangerous."

Police surrounded the home for over four hours before entering and finding that the suspect was no longer in the home.

White said the family inside of the home, two children, a husband, and wife, ran out when the suspect entered.

"They're holding up very well. The officers did a fantastic job of calming them down, as you can imagine, and they feel very safe with the officers," White said.

Assistant Police Chief Charles Fitzgerald said in a Facebook post around 10 p.m. Saturday that the home was surrounded by woods.

"Looking at the surveillance footage from the helicopter it does not look like the suspect came out of the wooded area," Fitzgerald said.

The investigation is ongoing and the police department did not provide the News with any further updates.

mjohnson@detroitnews.com