Public needs to offer tips to help police nab Rolladium shooting suspects

An article by The SCN Editorial Board    No Comments

It’s been just over a month since three gunmen returned to a Waterford Township skating rink after a private pre-Christmas skating party, opened gunfire and wounded five people, including a White Lake Township resident. There is surveillance camera footage and the suspects have been identified, although only one was in custody as of press time yesterday, Tuesday, Jan. 24: Cheyenne Benjamin Ingram, a 17-year-old Pontiac resident who was nabbed a week thanks in part to a tip from the public. That should be a telling sign that the public’s help is needed in getting those believed to be responsible off the streets. We urge, in no uncertain terms, anyone with information to come forward and help Waterford police apprehend the two suspects who remain at large.

Waterford police have encountered roadblocks in their investigation of the Dec. 23, 2011, Rolladium shooting that, in addition to the 20-year-old White Lake woman, wounded a 20-year-old man, another 20-year-old woman, a 21-year-old man, and a 23-year-old man, all four of whom are from Pontiac. While information has slowly come to light about the identities of the suspects — Ingram, who was arrested on Tuesday, Jan. 17; Pontiac resident Tre-Andis Marquan-Jose Jamison, 21; and Pontiac resident Robert Lee German, 18 — police have indicated that potential witnesses have been unwilling to, or too afraid, to talk and cooperate with law enforcement officials because of reported gang affiliations and histories of violence involving a pair of gangs out of Pontiac, the “Goon Squad” and “1st Enfantry.”

In addition, Waterford police also believe that friends and/or family may be harboring the two suspects who remain at large, Jamison and German. In fact, Ingram was apprehended last week, with the help of the Oakland County Violent Gang Task Force and Madison Heights Police Department and a tipster, in his mother’s vehicle in Madison Heights near the area of 14 Mile Road and I-75.

He was arraigned in 51st District Court in Waterford last week on a 14-count warrant on felony charges that include assault with intent to murder; possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony; conspiracy to commit homicide; and weapons charges. A similar 14-count warrant has been issued for German and Jamison.

Police Chief Daniel T. McCaw has thanked the public for its help in locating Ingram, and is requesting continued help in finding German and Jamison. We echo — and will continue to echo — that request until the suspects are brought into police custody for questioning and/or arraignment.

The rationale behind staying silent isn’t illogical, and we understand that people may be afraid to come forward, or are unwilling to, based on a real or perceived threat to their safety if they do offer up information that leads to the arrest of the two remaining suspects.

But enough is enough, and a day of freedom for the suspected shooters who are still at large after wounding five people is too much to tolerate — nevermind that they have eluded police capture for over a month. And we have no reason to believe that’s the fault of law enforcement, but think it’s instead those who are withholding information, regardless of the reasoning behind keeping that information to themselves, that is delaying the apprehension of the two remaining suspects.

That needs to stop. Police are considering the pair armed and dangerous, and are instructing people not to approach or attempt to apprehend them. That’s the job of the police.

But you can, if you have any information, play a real and tangible role in making your community safer by letting the police know what you know about the suspect’s whereabouts, or shed additional light on the Dec. 23 incident itself. If you were at the Rolladium that night, come forward. If you weren’t there but know the two suspects or where they can be found, come forward and help police.

Those with information on the whereabouts of German and Jamison can call 248-674-COPS (2677) or e-mail information to policetips@twp.waterford.mi.us. Crime Stoppers of Michigan offers up to a $1,000 reward for tips leading to the arrest of criminals and/or suspects. They also have an anonymous tip line that can be reached by calling 1-800-SPEAK-UP (1-800-773-2587).

For anyone who has information that will help police, be forthright and come forward. It’s the right thing to do to help make the community safe and bring to justice those who allegedly perpetrated the mass shooting at the Rolladium.