GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Police say the suspect involved with a shooting earlier Thursday morning is in custody after leading authorities on a chase through downtown Grand Rapids.
Police and court records show the suspect involved in the shooting, robbery and ensuing chase is Theo Clerence Little.
Suspect Theo Clerence Little
According to Kentwood police, around 5 p.m. a man with a handgun went into Specialized Staffing Solutions on 28th Street across the street from the Woodland Mall and forced the two employees in the building into the restroom. The suspect took one of the employee's purses, which had her car keys. He left the business in her vehicle, a red Mazda.
An alert was sent out to other police departments in the area. Grand Rapids Police Sgt. Terry Dixon says officers made contact with the red Mazda on Fulton Street near The B.O.B. on Monroe Avenue. At that point a high-risk traffic stop was initiated.
The driver didn't stop and began to flee westbound on Fulton towards John Ball Zoo.
"Basically, we saw that red car drive by going 80 miles an hour. At first three cars were chasing it, then 10 more," one witness told FOX 17 Thursday.
A video posted on Facebook by Colton Beveridge shows the police making contact with the suspect vehicle and the chase that followed. FOX 17 edited it for language.
The suspect crashed the vehicle near the zoo soon after. When he stepped out of the car, Dixon said, the suspect got out of the car with a weapon in hand, threw it on the ground and followed officers' commands.
Police say the suspect was arrested without injury.
Police believe this suspect is the same man who was involved in a shooting Thursday morning in the 1900 block of Mason Street NE. A 27-year-old woman was rushed to the hospital with wound to her upper body and injuries to her neck and face. Police said earlier that they were searching for the woman's 35-year-old boyfriend in connection with the shooting.
As for the shooting victim, we're told she has undergone surgery and is expected to survive.
