In 1994, a violent gang in Detroit, Michigan, USA, disguised as police officers, terrorized local neighborhoods through a series of brutal home invasions.
In 1994, there was a gang in the American city of Detroit that was breaking into homes. They were wearing police uniforms and shields. They usually targeted the homes of drug dealers and other gangs. When they broke into a house in police uniforms, the criminals inside the house thought they were real police, so they didn't resist. Over time, the gang's operations escalated and the violence they used in their raids increased. Here, the FBI intervened in the case and tried to uncover the people behind this gang, and they found surprises they never expected. The FBI at the time didn't know if this gang was just criminals disguised as police, or if they were actually corrupt or former police officers.
The events of our story took place in the nineties, specifically in the city of Detroit, located in the American state of Michigan. The city of Detroit is one of the cities with several areas where dangerous gangs are prevalent. In these areas, you find drug trafficking, violence, robbery, murder, and all kinds of assaults. The police and local authorities, no matter how much effort they put into combating these crimes, could never eliminate them due to the large number of gangs present in such areas. All they could do was try to control the situation and prevent things from escalating further.
Police Notice Recurring Raid Patterns
Things were fluctuating, and the gang was randomly robbing people's homes, or at least that's what it initially seemed to the police—that the raids and robberies were random. But after that, the police noticed that many of the reports they received had the same specifications: a gang breaking into homes wearing police uniforms and shields.
One of the raids that occurred was in February 1994. This gang broke into one of the houses located in an area known for drug dealing and smuggling. People in this area were accustomed to police forces raiding some homes, and they were used to some drug dealers being raided from time to time. This gang was wearing the same police uniforms. The shields they were wearing on their bodies had "Police" written on them, and they were armed with heavy weapons as if they were special forces. The only difference was that they weren't wearing helmets, but rather ordinary masks. They stormed the house, shouting at those inside that they were police, telling them: "We're police, get down, nobody move."
Gang Violence Forces Victim to Reveal Money Location
The man whose house they raided had money he earned from drug dealing. This man, even though he was at gunpoint, refused to speak at first because he thought they were police, telling them: "You're police, you can't hurt me." He initially refused to cooperate with them, but the gang members started treating him violently, and even fired a shot next to his head. At this point, the man got scared and immediately showed them where he was hiding the money, which was hidden inside the couch cushions. The gang immediately took the money and left the house.
The man remained in shock, and then realized that these were most likely not police. So he called the police and reported the home invasion and robbery that had occurred. When the real police came to the house, they took information from him and a description of the gang that had broken into his house. Of course, the police knew that this was a drug dealer, but they also knew that there was no operation or special forces supposed to raid this house today. So they were surprised when the man told them that the attackers were wearing police uniforms and shields.
Escalation of Similar Invasions in Detroit
This home invasion was just one of a large number of home invasions that would be reported throughout the city of Detroit. Almost every week, the police would receive one or two similar reports. And all the operations had the same description: men or a gang wearing police uniforms and shields, breaking into homes, threatening those inside with weapons, and taking all their money and valuable possessions, and sometimes even drugs if there were any in the house.
Most of the houses they were breaking into belonged to small or medium-sized drug dealers in poor neighborhoods or crime-ridden areas. But this gang wasn't just targeting drug dealers' houses; sometimes they would target the houses of ordinary people, and some of these people were even elderly or women. The gang members would treat them with the same violence they used on drug dealers. Some women were even assaulted. Their main goal was always money, and most likely in these areas, you find money or cash specifically with drug dealers, which is why they usually targeted drug dealers.
Formation of a Special Task Force to Confront the Gang
The gang's operations and the home invasions they were committing began to increase and escalate significantly. Within just a few months, the police counted over 50 home invasions and robberies, almost all with the same specifications. That's when they realized a special force had to be formed to deal with this situation. Thus, a special task force was created. This team was made up of detectives and officers from the local Detroit police, along with agents and investigators from the FBI, and they would cooperate to try and uncover this gang and the people behind it.
Initially, after the investigators studied the home invasion cases that had occurred over the past months, they noticed that this gang's method of home invasion was very similar to that of police and special forces operations. That is, the gang members weren't just dressing like police; they were even imitating their methods of raiding and controlling the premises they entered. When the investigators saw that the description matched in all the operations, they immediately knew that this was one gang responsible for all these invasions.
Challenges in Gathering Information from Victims
At first, they thought there might be more than one gang carrying out operations using the same or similar methods. But when they studied the cases closely, they realized it was one gang. Initially, they estimated that the gang had about eight members, because according to witnesses, the invasions were usually carried out by four to eight people. The investigators began trying to gather more information, so they went to the homes of some victims and interviewed them. But the big problem was that most of the gang's victims were drug dealers and outlaws, so they were hesitant to talk to the police or give them information that would help them; they didn't want to implicate themselves or reveal to the investigators that they too were drug dealers.
But the investigators knew that most of these were drug dealers, and these were just small-time dealers, so the investigators weren't interested in them. So the investigators would tell them: "We know what you do, and we are not trying to convict or arrest you. We are here for this dangerous gang that is causing a lot of harm to people. There are people who have been violently assaulted, and there are even women who have been assaulted." So these small-time drug dealers, although they would be a little hesitant at first, when it became clear to them that the investigators' only concern was the gang, they would agree to cooperate with them.
Searching for Former Police Officers in the Gang
The investigators and task force members considered the possibility that the gang members might be current or former police officers, because, as we said, the way the gang carried out their raids was always very similar to police or special forces operations. So they started looking into police officers who had been dismissed in recent years due to corruption, theft, or bribery cases, and who specifically worked on drug cases, because these would most likely know who the drug dealers were and how to target them.
However, after a period of searching, they found nothing. In the end, they ruled out the possibility that the gang members could be current or former police officers, especially since the gang carried out their operations in violent ways, which contradicts the behavior of even corrupt police officers, who tend to avoid attracting attention. On July 26, 1994, the police received a report of a shootout between several individuals. When the police arrived, they found a person injured with several gunshots and lying on the ground. This person was alone, and it was clear that the rest of the people involved in the shootout had fled or disappeared from the scene. Most likely, his companions had left him after seeing him severely injured. This person matched the description of the gang members: he was wearing police clothes and a shield, had a mask on his face, and a pistol in his hand. Even their pistols were not ordinary; they were pistols whose bullets could even penetrate armor.
Dante Garrison's Cooperation with Investigators
Immediately after, an ambulance arrived and took him to the hospital. The police who found him notified the special task force. Immediately afterward, the investigators went to the hospital, hoping that this person would remain alive, because he might finally be the lead they had been looking for for the past two months. Through examining his fingerprints, they were able to identify him; his name was Dante Garrison. After he finally regained consciousness, the investigators immediately went to him and began trying to talk to him and get information from him. He was still tired and dizzy because he had been shot five times in the leg, arm, and abdomen, but he was able to respond to them a little. Dante told the investigators that he understood he had been in a shootout, and he told them that he would answer their questions but that he was currently tired and needed to rest. From their assessment of his psychological and emotional state and his way of responding to them, they felt that he might agree to help. So they let him rest and left the room feeling optimistic, but at the same time, they knew that they had to play their cards right because he would not agree to cooperate with them unless they made him feel comfortable and gave him guarantees of protection.
The investigators returned to the task force headquarters and began discussing with their colleagues the best way to ensure Dante's cooperation. They wanted to turn him and make him work for them, like an informant against his associates. During these discussions, when the investigators mentioned the name of this person, Dante Garrison, one of the police officers said: "I know this person and I know his family." This officer's name was Al Page. He told his colleagues that he had known Dante since he was a small child and had a close relationship with his family. The other investigators were happy, feeling that luck was starting to smile on them, and they immediately knew that Officer Al Page was the best person to approach Dante and persuade him to cooperate with them. Indeed, Officer Al Page went to Dante and spoke with him, using his relationship with his family to get close to him and make him agree to help them.
Andre Woods Surrenders to Police
Of course, Dante only agreed after asking them for legal protection. They agreed to his request and told him: "Okay, you will be exempt from all charges, but in return, you must help us reach every member of your gang." Dante told them: "Alright." After that, he confessed that he was indeed one of the members of this gang that breaks into houses, wears police uniforms, and uses their methods. Then, the investigators asked him how he was injured and what happened in the shootout where they found him lying on the ground afterwards. Dante told them the story. He told them that he and the gang members were planning to attack a house. This house was used by a drug gang. On the first day, they conducted a surveillance and investigation operation on this house, so they stopped in a place around the house to observe it before the night of the attack.
But apparently, one of the members of this drug gang, the homeowners, saw them, and before they could catch him, he escaped. On the night of the next day, they thought they could just go back to the same house and raid the people or the gang inside. But the drug gang members, the homeowners, were ready for them. They were armed and ready to engage them. So when Dante and his gang tried to storm the house, Dante was the first one to enter, and immediately, the people inside shot at him, hitting him five times in different parts of his body. Dante's companions, who were behind him, immediately retreated and fled when he was injured. They didn't stay to defend him or try to save him. Dante, who was severely injured, tried to escape but couldn't get far, and immediately his wounds exhausted him and he fell to the ground. After that, of course, the police arrived and he was taken to the hospital. This is the story Dante told the police. And certainly, one of the reasons that made him cooperate with them was that his companions abandoned him, meaning they left him alone while he was injured without even trying to save him or defend him.
Full Recovery and Full Cooperation with the FBI
He felt that they had betrayed him before he betrayed them. Dante recovered a bit after a few days, and the doctors allowed him to leave the hospital. So the task force then took him to a safe house, one of the secret houses used by the FBI. This house was even outside the city of Detroit. And there, they sat with him, and of course, they assured him that he would be under their protection and that he didn't need to fear anything if he cooperated fully with them. He would not be prosecuted legally, nor would any charges be brought against him, and his name would be hidden from all investigations until all gang members were arrested and prosecuted.
The investigators held long sessions and interviews with Dante. During these interviews, they extracted all the gang's details from him. The first important piece of information was that the number of gang members was much larger than the investigators had believed. There were about 30 of them, but individual raids were usually carried out by four to eight people, which is why the investigators initially thought the gang had about eight members. Dante told them that the people who carried out the operation were chosen based on availability, meaning whoever was available and ready to go. According to Dante's confessions, there were also two gang leaders: the first named Obie Carter, and the second named Andre Woods. These two men ran the gang, determining the targets and houses to be raided, choosing the members who would carry out the operations, and usually leading the operations on the ground.
Obie Carter and Andre Woods' Strategies
But each of the two leaders had a specific role. We can consider Obie Carter to be the mastermind behind the operations. He was the one who selected the houses through a research process. After identifying the target house, he would contact some gang members to conduct surveillance and gather information about the target or that house. So, we can consider Obie Carter the leader responsible for gathering intelligence and information for the gang. As for the second leader, Andre Woods, he was the executive force. A huge, muscular, and very strong man. The first time you saw him, you would think he was a monster, not a human. So Andre was responsible for carrying out the operations, from selecting members to the raids themselves. He was also responsible for training the gang members. He would conduct training raids on empty houses and instruct gang members, teaching them how to carry out the same raiding methods used by the police and special forces: how to enter, how to sweep the area, how to deal with the people inside, and how to extract information from them by force and threats. So he was the one who came up with the idea of imitating police officers.
Andre Woods was an extremely violent person. He was even responsible for assaulting most of the victims, especially women. Torture was very easy for him. When one of the victims or drug dealers whose homes they raided refused to speak, he would torture them until he got all the information he wanted. He might beat them violently, he might shoot them in the leg or arm, and he never hesitated. On the contrary, he enjoyed it. This is how the gang worked, and this was the role of each of the two leaders. Each one complemented the other. After each operation, the gang members would gather and divide the money and spoils among themselves. If there were drugs among the spoils, they would be sold and the profits distributed. Of course, the profits from each raid were distributed only among the individuals who participated in that raid. And all participants received the same equal share. This was one of the gang's basic rules so that no one felt they were getting less than others, or tried to cause problems due to greed. So everyone got the exact same share. That is, even with the violence and savagery with which they carried out their operations, this gang was smart and organized.
Surveillance and Wiretaps to Gather Evidence
Of course, all this information and details were learned by the investigators through Dante's confessions. And through him, they also learned the identities and names of most of the gang members, who, as we said, numbered about 30. Most of the gang members were individuals with previous records and former criminals. They had criminal records and had spent various periods in prison. Their crimes ranged from robberies, violence, assault, drug trafficking, and other gang-related matters. Dante also told the investigators about the places where the gang gathered and the houses they used as their headquarters. So the investigators sent surveillance teams to these places and houses where the gang gathered. Thus, a large number of police officers were monitoring the gang members, their gathering places, and all their movements.
The task force needed to gather as much information and evidence about the gang as possible so they could convict them in court. They had to catch them either red-handed while carrying out one of their operations, or have irrefutable evidence. Otherwise, their case would be weak in court. That is, even if Dante, who had now defected from the gang, testified against his associates in court, it would not be enough to convict them. He is ultimately just one person, and his word against theirs, so the case would definitely be lost.
Wiretapping the Gang's Phone Calls
The investigators then began to tap phones and listen to calls between gang members. Of course, wiretapping requires a judge's order. That is, the judge must issue them a warrant authorizing them to tap the phones of gang members. And the judge saw that the presence of a witness from inside the gang itself, which was Dante, was more than enough reason to give the investigators permission to wiretap. But we must mention an important piece of information, which is that the use of mobile phones was not yet widespread at that time. Most people were using pagers for communication. In any case, a few days later, a major development would occur in the case.
On September 4, 1994, the police received a report of a shooting inside a house. But this house was not just any house; it was owned by Andre Woods, one of the gang leaders, the massive, muscular leader. This house was an illegal gambling den where criminals, gang members, and drug dealers gathered and gambled among themselves. When the police entered the house, they found four bodies of four people who had been shot dead. So the police interviewed some witnesses and people who were in the house and found out what happened. The story was that Andre Woods had a dispute with these four, and they disrespected him, and skirmishes occurred between them. So Andre Woods, the savage, simply pulled out his pistol and shot them, killing them outright, just like that, without any hesitation. After that, he left the house, got into his car, and disappeared.
Andre Woods Surrenders to the Police
The task force and the FBI issued an arrest warrant for Andre Woods and his car nationwide, not just at the state level. That means Andre Woods was now one of America's most wanted criminals because of this crime. All law enforcement agencies would pursue him. About a week later, something completely unexpected happened. Andre Woods suddenly walked into the Detroit police headquarters and surrendered himself. He told the police, "I heard you were looking for me, so I came in myself." Investigators believe Andre Woods surrendered because the pressure from law enforcement and the continuous pursuit tightened the noose around him. Perhaps he felt it was easier to fight the charges against him and deny them, trying to invalidate them, rather than remain a fugitive all the time.
In any case, the investigators were happy that Andre Woods was imprisoned. At least, they took him off the streets because it was clear that he was the most violent among all the gang members, and his reputation was the worst. So now, initially, the first leader was down, and the second leader, Obie Carter, remained. As we said, he was the mastermind and responsible for planning the operations. Of course, the task force was focusing on him specifically more than the rest of the gang members. And there were even undercover officers in civilian clothes directly monitoring him closely.
Connecting Gang Calls to Home Invasion Crimes
However, tracking Obie Carter was not easy, as he was smart and aware that the police might be watching him, especially after his associate, Andre Woods, was caught. Nevertheless, the surveillance team managed to keep tracking him despite his caution and the precautions he tried to take. The task force also continued their surveillance and wiretapping of the gang members' calls. Through these calls, they heard the gang members talking about their operations and spoils. And even through their conversations and discussions, they were able to link them to specific home invasions, because the gang members, for example, would mention in these calls what they stole, how much they stole, and exactly what they did during the operations.
So the investigators were able to link these calls to the reports they were investigating when they went to these houses that had been raided. These calls, all of which were recorded, could later be used in court to link gang members to specific robberies and home invasions that the police had investigated. This would help in court later, but of course, it wouldn't be enough evidence because they didn't know exactly which gang member participated in which operation. And the investigators' ambition was to catch them red-handed while they were carrying out one of their operations, meaning to catch them in the act. So the task force continued their surveillance and wiretapping, waiting for the right opportunity.
Police Ambush for the Detroit Gang
And one night, one of the surveillance officers was watching one of the houses the gang used as their headquarters. But suddenly, a car approached the house. This car was ostensibly an ordinary car, but in reality, it was an undercover police car. Four armed men got out of the car, carrying pistols. These four were undercover police officers in civilian clothes. The surveillance officer was surprised and immediately contacted the operations center, and the response came quickly that these four were undercover officers looking for a fugitive criminal in the houses adjacent to the gang's house. That is, these police officers were not aware of the gang. This could have caused a big problem, because if these police officers had approached the gang's house, the gang members might have opened fire on them.
Indeed, the gang members inside the house noticed the undercover police and prepared themselves and their weapons. They were ready to engage them, even though they knew they were police officers. You might ask how they knew they were police even though they were undercover? The answer is that even unmarked police cars have certain identifying marks, and the gang members were experienced in these matters. So now, the officer who was watching was afraid that the gang members would kill the four police officers. He even thought of getting out of the car and warning them, but that would most likely ruin the surveillance operation and all the investigations they had been working on for many months. But fortunately, the four police officers did not approach the gang's house, and a disaster was avoided without the surveillance officer having to reveal himself.
Imagine the gang members were ready to kill these police officers; they had no problem. They are a violent gang that doesn't compromise. You might also ask how we even knew the gang was ready to kill the police? The task force, by wiretapping the gang members and their conversations, knew that the gang members were indeed paying attention to the four police officers and were ready to engage them if they approached the house or tried to break in. This made the investigators fear that this gang was even more dangerous than they thought, because if they were willing to kill police officers, it means they would do anything to avoid being caught. So the investigators now had to keep in mind that the most likely scenario when they tried to apprehend these gang members was that they would be met with gunfire, and they would not surrender easily.
Intense Pursuit and Obie Carter's Death
Especially since the investigators wanted to catch them red-handed, meaning they wanted to apprehend them while they were carrying out their operation. So the gang members would be armed, wearing their shields, and ready to engage. But the investigators also had to pay attention to one thing, which was that they should not raid the gang while they were inside the house they had broken into, because this could lead to the gang members taking the residents of the house hostage, and innocent people could die in the crossfire, for example. So, the confrontation and apprehension had to happen after they left the house, after they had just finished their operation. This confrontation would not be easy. The gang members were armed with heavy weapons, such as AKs, Uzis, and machine guns. And even their pistols were pistols that used armor-piercing bullets.
So the investigators decided that they would need to use special assault forces, known in English as the "SWAT Team," who are police forces more specialized in engaging armed criminals. So FBI investigators met with the commander of the special forces and his assistant and explained their plan to confront the gang and apprehend them. The plan was that about 20 special forces officers would ride in an ambulance, so they would be disguised, and they would wait for the gang to finish their operation and leave the house. The gang usually used a large van for their movements when they carried out operations. So all the gang members participating in this operation would usually be riding in that one van. So the plan was for the special forces to wait for the gang to finish their operation and leave the house they had targeted, and then they would most likely get into their van and flee with their spoils.
The Failed Ambulance Ambush Plan
So the special forces would follow them in the ambulance, with the siren and emergency lights on. The gang would think there was an ambulance coming from behind them in a hurry, and they would supposedly try to stay undercover, so they would most likely pull over to the side of the road to let the ambulance pass. But the ambulance wouldn't pass them; instead, it would cut them off and ram them, immobilizing their vehicle. After that, the 20 special forces officers hiding inside the ambulance would quickly get out and surround the gang's vehicle from all directions, without giving them a chance to open fire or engage them. This was the plan in short, and the investigators' main goal was to avoid a street chase, because a chase could turn into a disaster and result in a large number of casualties.
Of course, not all gang members would be present in this operation. That is, the number of gang members participating in a single operation ranged from four to eight individuals, as we mentioned earlier. The gang consisted of 30 members. Even if the police arrested four to eight of them, they would most likely be able to make them confess to the rest, because those who would be caught would be caught red-handed. So the police would be able to threaten them with long prison sentences if they did not cooperate. Now, all that remained was for the investigators to find the right opportunity to carry out the operation. They had to catch one of the gang's operations through wiretapping.
Obie Carter Killed, Confrontation Escalates
Finally, after weeks of surveillance and wiretapping, the investigators heard gang members talking about a new, large operation that many of them would participate in. This was the opportunity the investigators had been waiting for. According to the calls between gang members, the operation would take place on November 11, 1994. The target would, as usual, be one of the drug dealers' houses, but the gang members did not specify where exactly this house was in their calls. So the investigators did not know the exact location of the house. This would then be the task of the surveillance officers who were tracking the gang members on the ground. They had to try to find out the house or at least the area where the operation would take place. And indeed, the next day, the surveillance officers followed two of the gang members as if they were scouting the area where the operation would take place. They were as if checking the streets, roads, and exits and entrances, because this gang planned its operations meticulously, especially with the presence of their leader and mastermind, Obie Carter.
Now, the investigators had almost all the information they needed, and all that remained was to coordinate with the special forces team who would carry out the arrest operation. To prepare the special forces members, they gave them all the information they had. They emphasized that these gang members were very violent and armed with dangerous weapons and wore the same shields that the police wear. To illustrate the extent of this gang's violence, they played a recording of the conversations that took place between them when they saw the four undercover police officers. It was clear in the recording that the gang members were ready to kill these police officers without hesitation. The investigators played this recording to the special forces members to show them how dangerous these people were, and that they would not hesitate to kill them even if they were police officers. So, they had to be aware of this and be fully prepared.
Successful Operation and Apprehension of 29 Criminals
On the night of the anticipated operation, the night of November 11, all security teams were fully prepared. Surveillance officers were deployed at several houses and headquarters of the gang, and each of them was trying to see if there were movements indicating that these gang members were moving or others. And in one of these houses, the surveillance officer who was monitoring this house immediately noticed movements. He saw six individuals leaving the house with their weapons, wearing their shields and masks and the police uniforms they usually used in their operations, and they got into their van, which they also usually used in their operations, and drove off, most likely towards the house they intended to target. The surveillance officer, of course, immediately followed them and kept tracking the van until it stopped at one of the houses. It was clear that this was the targeted house.
The surveillance officer immediately notified the operations center that the gang was currently carrying out their operation inside the house, and he gave them the exact location of the house. The operations center immediately notified the special forces team to get ready and move in the ambulance to a location near the house the gang had invaded. A little later, the gang members came out of the house carrying their spoils with them, and they immediately got into the van. As we said, there were six of them. So the gang drove off in their van and headed to the street. And immediately, the surveillance officer notified the special forces team, and the special forces immediately moved in the ambulance until they were behind the gang's van. And as we said, they had the siren and emergency lights on.
The End of the Pursuit and Restoration of Safety in Detroit
So the criminals thought there was an ambulance coming from behind them, and the special forces kept approaching the van until they were directly behind it. At this point, they were supposed to cut them off and ram the ambulance to disable their vehicle. But at the last moment, when the special forces tried to ram the gang, it seems the van driver noticed something strange and hit the gas, and the van sped off and escaped from the special forces, unfortunately. The ambulance couldn't accelerate like the van; the ambulance was very heavy, and on top of that, there were more than 20 officers inside. So the gang escaped from them and easily got away. Of course, the task force knew that if the gang escaped them this time, it was unlikely they would be able to catch them again, because the gang would most likely halt all their operations indefinitely.
But apart from the ambulance, there were two other cars present at the scene. The first car was driven by an officer named Steve Miller, who was the surveillance officer tracking the gang from the beginning of the operation. The second car belonged to the special forces and had two officers in it. So these two cars began to chase the gang's car. That is, only three officers were chasing the gang, which numbered six. Suddenly, the tables turned because the majority of the officers were inside the ambulance that remained behind.
Investigators' Inferences Regarding the Gang's Escape
During this pursuit, the gang members opened the rear door of the van and fired at the two cars chasing them. The special forces officers, who, as we said, were in one of the cars, began to return fire at the gang. And this particular thing was what the investigators hoped wouldn't happen; they wished there wouldn't be a pursuit and shooting in the streets. The pursuit continued for a while, and then suddenly, without explanation, the van stopped in the middle of the street. The officers, of course, stopped behind it and didn't understand what was happening. Why did the gang members stop here suddenly?
The officers were, of course, sitting inside their cars, anticipating and aiming their weapons at the van. Suddenly, four of the gang members emerged from the rear door, firing at the officers, and the officers returned fire. These four were trying to escape. Officer Steve Miller, the surveillance officer, his instinct told him to try and pursue the four who had escaped, and he thought that the special forces officers in the second car would do the same and try to follow the four who had escaped. But the special forces officers stayed next to the van because there were two people in the front, so they aimed their weapons at them and ordered them to get out of the car. But the driver and his companion did not respond, and suddenly they drove off in the van again at top speed.
Arrival of Reinforcements and Confirmation of the Leader's Death
Then the officers returned to their cars and continued to pursue the van. So now, Officer Steve Miller was alone, chasing the four fugitives. He thought that reinforcements were coming behind him, but he didn't realize that he was alone. One of the gang members that Steve was chasing hid behind a wall and wanted to try and set up an ambush for him. And Steve was still running, thinking he was the hunter and they were the prey; he didn't know he was heading into a trap. And suddenly, when he reached the wall, the gang member opened fire on him from close range, and Steve quickly returned fire as he moved away. The strange thing is that Steve wasn't hit by a single bullet, imagine that! Even though the gang member shot at him from point-blank range. And Steve still says he's surprised how he wasn't hit in that confrontation.
After that, Steve also hid behind a wall, and only then did he realize that he was alone and that the other officers were not around him. So he waited there for a while because he realized that he was facing four people by himself, and he was afraid that they had set a trap for him if he tried to chase them or get closer to them. A few minutes later, backup finally arrived, and additional officers came to support him. Of course, officers were now arriving from everywhere in that area. Immediately after, Steve and the rest of the officers moved to search for the four gang members. Unfortunately, these few minutes were enough to allow them to escape, unless they were severely injured. And indeed, after Steve and his companions searched, they found one of the gang members lying on the ground. It was clear that this man was severely injured. So Steve approached him and examined him, and indeed, the man was dead.
Crucial Evidence and the Arrest of 29 Individuals
Steve managed to fatally wound him, even though this man was wearing armor. But the officers, including Steve, were armed that night with armor-piercing bullets, just like the gang members. They also discovered that this dead man was not just any man; this was Obie Carter, the remaining gang leader. As for the van and the special forces car that was chasing it, the van stopped on the side of the road. The officers didn't know why the van stopped again; they weren't sure if it ran out of gas or broke down. But in any case, they took down the two people who were in the van. One of them surrendered immediately, while the other decided to try and escape. Some FBI investigators arrived at the scene at that moment and began chasing the fugitive on foot. After a short chase, they found the fugitive lying on the ground. This fugitive was the van's driver, and it seems he was severely injured, which might explain the sudden stops they were making. And despite his severe injuries, he would survive later in the hospital.
So the police only arrested two gang members: the one who surrendered and the one who was injured. And one, who was the gang leader Obie Carter, died. Three managed to escape. The investigators contacted several hospitals to ask if they had received any cases of people with gunshot wounds, and indeed, one of the hospitals informed them that a person had arrived with several gunshot wounds. This was also one of the gang members who was caught. So only two of the six managed to escape from the police. The police now had three gang members in their hands, and two of them were injured. At the same moment, security teams from the FBI, police, and special forces raided several houses and headquarters belonging to the gang. Inside these houses, they found spoils and stolen items that linked the gang to the home invasion operations. For example, they found jewelry and clothes that had been reported stolen by the homeowners. In addition, they found a number of heavy weapons used by the gang in their houses, and they found masks, shields, and police uniforms. All of this was evidence that could help the investigators build a stronger case against them.
Conviction of the Gang and Prison Sentences
But the most crucial thing that could win the case was the confession and cooperation of the arrested gang members. So the investigators sat with them and told them: "You are now in a critical situation; you were caught red-handed and tried to shoot police officers. These charges will lead to your downfall; you will spend the rest of your lives in prison. But whoever speaks first and cooperates with us might get a reduced sentence." This way, the investigators managed to convince the gang members to talk and reveal their remaining associates.
In fact, the investigators knew most of the gang members' identities from Dante's confessions from the beginning, he being the first gang member caught. But they needed the confessions of those who were caught so that the case against the rest would be solid. There had to be more than one witness and more than one confession. And of course, there was the other evidence they had collected over the past months from call recordings, stolen goods, weapons, and much more. So now, when they knew that the case was winnable and solid, and they had all the evidence they needed, they immediately proceeded with the arrests of all the gang members. A total of 29 people were arrested, and thereafter, these 29 were prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced to various terms in prison depending on the charges. The strange thing in all of this is that despite the violence and clashes between the gang and the police, not a single officer was injured, not even by a single bullet. It seems that these gang members didn't know how to use violence except against helpless, innocent people. But in real confrontations, they were as weak as could be.
Sources:
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Detroit Free Press Archive (1994) Original reporting on the “Home Invaders” gang who posed as police officers during violent home invasions in Detroit.
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The FBI Files – "Forced Entry" Episode (2004) A television documentary that follows the FBI’s investigation into the 1994 Detroit home invasion case.
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Medium: "Robbers Who Looted Homes in Police Disguise" A detailed article highlighting the gang’s strategy and the psychological impact of their crimes.
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YouTube: "Masked Robberies Plagued The Detroit Area | The FBI Files" A video reenactment and analysis of the crimes and arrests of the gang members.
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People v. Frazier (1994) – Michigan Supreme Court Case Legal documentation involving a related armed robbery and murder involving gang members.