7:30pm Thursday update:
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Grand Rapids Police Capt. Cathy Williams says most of the suspects thought to be involved in a carjacking late Thursday afternoon on the city's west side are in custody.
It happened around 4 o'clock on Quarry Avenue near Webster Street NW. Williams says four young suspects approached a car and two young women. A witness told police that one of them was armed with a handgun. Police didn't know yet whether the women were inside the car at the time. But after they were approached, the four suspects took off in their car.
"(The victims) called us and we flooded the area," Williams said in a Thursday evening news briefing at the scene. "Within 20 minutes, officers spotted that vehicle not far from here, actually. We gave them a short pursuit. At that time, additional officers arrived. And (the suspects) did crash into one of the (police) cruisers. That officer is okay, but those vehicles are absolutely totaled ... they were traveling at a very high rate of speed recklessly through the city."
The police vehicle was broadsided in an alley, and that led to some other vehicles nearby being hit, as a result.
The suspects took off running after that, and police tracked them to the St. James Apartments on 1st Ave. NW. There was no initial word whether the suspects live in the apartment complex or know anyone there.
"We were able to confirm that with video footage," Williams said. "We surrounded this apartment and we called in additional resources to get those suspects out of the apartment."
Another suspect was taken into custody on Bridge Street. No injuries were reported during the arrests.
However, Capt. Williams said the officers in the patrol cruiser that was hit were "shaken up a bit," but did not appear to have any serious injuries. They were taken to a hospital as a precaution only.
Police say the suspects range in age from teenager to young adults.
Officers were pleased that no one was seriously injured during the ordeal.
"When you have something like this, it's never good news that it happened. But, sometimes bad things happen to good people," Williams said. "And when we can locate all the suspects involved in an incident, that's a good outcome. And no one was hurt."
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5pm Thursday (original) report:
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Grand Rapids Police have several roads blocked off on the near West Side of downtown late this afternoon, following an armed carjacking.
So far, no injuries have been reported. It happened after 4 o'clock on Quarry Avenue near Webster Street, according to GRPD Lieutenant Dorr. He tells WOOD Radio two suspects have been caught, but two were still on foot.
Several roads are blocked off in the general vicinity of the 900 block of Bridge Street near Lane Avenue. Some of the other roads in the 900 blocked affected include Douglas and Chatham, as of 5 p.m.
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