Fraser private eye thwarts would-be mugger in Detroit
A Fraser-based private detective said he had a scary moment in downtown Detroit on Wednesday morning when he thwarted a man attempting to mug him by pulling out his handgun and yelling at his would-be assailant.
Mike Torrice said he had just exited a building on Griswold Street and turned the corner at Larned Street to go to his nearby parked vehicle when the man came running at him with his left hand in his pocket mimicking a gun as his right hand was raised.
The suspect, who was Black, yelled, “Give it up white man” and “money, white man,” and Torrice reacted by pulling out his .44-caliber Magnum handgun, pointing it at the man and yelling, “Get away from me mother——,” Torrice said. “I said it again and he finally ran away.”
Torrice, 51, attributed his quick and effective response to noticing the man a couple of seconds earlier running “aggressively” toward him, though Torrice was on the phone talking to a person who heard the incident take place.
“I was aware of my surroundings even though I was talking on the phone, on speaker phone,” he said. But he said, “It was scary.”
Torrice’s wife, former Macomb County commissioner Carey Torrice, posted an 8-second video from her husband’s vehicle’s dash camera that first shows Torrice walking on the sidewalk followed by the suspect running toward him. The interaction between Torrice and the suspect was out of view of the camera.
Torrice afterward returned to his Utica Road office in Fraser and called Detroit police, who told him he must file a report in person. He also contacted Rock Security, an arm of the Rocket companies, including Rocket Mortgage, which owns the parking garage adjacent to the metered spot where Torrice was parked and other downtown buildings. Someone at Rock Security indicated the company may have security video of the incident and would look into the incident.
He was told there were other similar incidents reported that day.
A message left for Rock Security was not immediately returned Friday afternoon.
Torrice, who has a permit to carry a concealed weapon, said the incident shows how people in public areas need to be “aware of your surroundings.”
Torrice, who attended Wayne State University in Detroit, said he is familiar with homeless people and beggars approaching him in a more passive manner, while his would-be robber came at him aggressively.
People who carry a firearm also need to be prepared to react quickly and have the weapon readily accessible because the incident “happened so fast.”
He carries his gun on a hip holster, he said. He said people who want to protective themselves with a weapon while walking should carry their gun in their torso or waist area for quick and easy access. He advised against carrying a gun in an ankle holster or a purse because that slows the reaction.
He didn’t speculate at what point he would have pulled the trigger if the man had not retreated.
“He did not pose a deadly threat at that point,” Torrice said. “Just the fact that I had a gun and he saw that and I used the verbal commands, that was enough to stop him in his tracks. He decided his life was not worth it.”
He said he also was fortunate that the owners of the building from which he exited, 500 Griswold, allow people to carry a concealed weapon inside. The operators of many buildings in downtown Detroit do not allow visitors to carry a weapon inside which he said puts them in greater danger when they leave.
The time of the incident, about 9:30 a.m., also shows someone can be targeted at any time in downtown Detroit, not just on a weekend night when it seems most crime is committed there, he said.
He believes the wouldbe robber may have been targeting him on the belief he used the Bank of America branch on the ground floor inside the building, and may have just received a large amount of cash. Torrice had gone to the building to conduct business on a higher floor.
But he said he wonders why the man used the “white man” reference.
He noted the man also was suspicious because he was wearing a mask and was “bundled up” beyond what was necessary for the temperature that day to conceal his identity.
Carey Torrice, 46, who served on the county board for two terms from 2007 thru 2010, also is a private detective. The couple operates Eye Spy Detective Agency in Fraser.
She warns in her post: “watch out for this guy in the video and call the police or security if you see him in the area.said in her post,” and, “If your employer does not allow you to carry a weapon, have them provide a security escort to walk you to your vehicle. It is their responsibility to keep you safe.”
Torrice, in support of gun rights, also posted, “My gun has saved my life twice, and I’ve never had to use it. The first time, a man tried to car jack me. The second time, an armed woman tried to rob me in the bathroom. Both of these events happened in the morning.”
One of 70 commenters on the post say the video “so looks like it’s fake” and was posted to draw attention to her. Carey Torrice responds: “Except it’s not fake Charles. I posted it to warn people to be on the lookout for this guy, not for attention.”
Carey Torrice over a decade ago frequently made local headlines. As an actress and model she has appeared on numerous television shows, and was once named by TMZ television show as one of the America’s “hottest” politicians. The Torrices appeared as private detectives on numerous national television shows and talked about their jobs.
But she also drew negative attention. Her 4-year run on the county board ended amid controversies: the couple was convicted by a civil court jury of committing insurance fraud in the deliberate burning down of their house, despite their claim of innocence, and engaged in a stakeout and alleged hitand-run/set-up arranged in an apparent attempt to destroy the reputation of her 2010 primary election opponent.