Police Blotter: Reckless Driving, and Drunken Juvenile Reported at Walmart

A man who entered the looking for information on the Citizens Academy turned out to be the suspect police had been looking for in a case of assault with a vehicle.

Daniel Ray Goodman, 40, has been arraigned on charges of malicious destruction of property, assault with a vehicle and reckless driving. He is being held on a $5,000 cash bond.

White Lake Police Chief Edward Harris said the incident began at 5:30 a.m. April 6 in Waterford.

Two drivers called police to report that a Ford F-150 followed them westbound on M-59 through Waterford and into White Lake.

According to the two drivers, the man driving the Ford truck was swerving in between lanes behind the two vehicles, which were in the left and right lanes, respectively.

According to the police report, the driver of the truck was tailgating both cars, flashing his brights and swerving between the two lanes behind the cars. At one point, the truck passed the car in the left lane, using the center-turn lane. The truck then slowed down to 40 miles per hour and swerved between the left and right lanes in front of the two vehicles, impeding them as they drove along M-59 and not allowing either car to pass.

Harris said the truck reportedly then sped up and pulled into a parking lot, where the driver turned around and waited for the two vehicles to pass. He then pulled back onto M-59 behind the two cars and continued to tailgate, flash his high beams and swerve between the two lanes, the drivers told police.

"At one point, the cars were stopped at the light at the intersection of Williams Lake Road and M-59," Harris said, adding that while stopped, the driver reportedly pulled out a flashlight and began flickering it at the drivers of both cars.

When the cars reached the Teggerdine intersection, one vehicle proceded into the left-turn lane to let the truck pass, Harris said.

"At that point, the driver said the truck got behind his vehicle, bumped into the back of it and began to push the vehicle down M-59," Harris said.

He said the drivers reported that the vehicle then hit a curb along the shoulder of the road, and the truck allegedly continued to push it until it was over the curb, before speeding off.

A description of the truck was put out, and police in the area were put on alert.

"We put a BOL (be on the lookout) out on the car and were able to get an ID on the driver," Harris said.

On April 13, Goodman walked into the White Lake Police Station to inquire about the Citizens Academy. One of the officers recognized his name as the truck driver identified in the incident and began talking to him. During the conversation, Goodman allegedly admitted to being involved, Harris said.

He was subsequently placed under arrest.

Public intoxication

A juvenile was taken into custody Saturday after he became confrontational at and was found to be drunk, police said.

"We were called to the Walmart to pick up an intoxicated juvenile," Harris said. "When we arrived, we were told that the kid was confronted after being seen taking a bottle of Bacardi. He went to the bathroom and smashed the bottle of Bacardi against the wall, then got into a confrontation with employees who witnessed his actions."

The boy's mother was also called to the scene, but he would not to listen to her or officers, according to Harris.

"Our officers tried to talk to him and noticed he was slurring his speech. When the officer tried to search him, he pushed them away. He was subsequently placed under arrest," Harris said.

A breath test was administered at the store, and the boy registered a 0.139 blood-alcohol level. In Michigan, 0.08 is considered drunk, although it's illegal for anyone under 21 to consume alcohol.

The boy was eventually released to his mother. Harris said the department will file a juvenile petition with the Oakland County Court.