An altercation at a Walmart in Sterling Heights escalated when a man allegedly assaulted a police officer with a screwdriver. Joshua Mills, a 32-year-old from Eastpointe, faces charges after the incident on October 5, according to ClickOnDetroit.
Responding to a shoplifting report, authorities encountered Mills, who attempted to evade apprehension and, after being tasered, allegedly lunged at an officer's face with the tool. Mills has been charged with assault to do great bodily harm less than murder, but did not strike the officer during the conflict. His preliminary exam took place yesterday, and he was bound over to circuit court with a subsequent arraignment scheduled for November 10, as WXYZ reports.
Mills currently remains at Macomb County Jail, and his bond has been set at a substantial $500,000 cash surety. Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido highlighted the gravity of the charges, stating, "The defendant’s decision to allegedly turn a routine misdemeanor arrest into a life-threatening confrontation is unacceptable, and our office will pursue this case to the fullest extent of the law," in comments obtained by Hoodline.
The charges Mills faces include a 10-year felony for assault with the intent to do great bodily harm, two 2-year felonies for assaulting, resisting, or obstructing a police officer, and a 1-year misdemeanor for second-degree retail fraud, a reality that paints a stark picture of an encounter turned dangerously violent. Amidst the legal proceedings, Mills, who has a history with the law, being on probation for domestic violence and resisting arrest, is mandated to wear a GPS tether if released - a condition that echoes the concern for public safety reverberating throughout the local community.
