Strange Skunk Incident Leads GRPD to Suspected Murder Weapon
A suspicious situation with a skunk on Grand Rapids' southeast side lead investigators to recover what they believe to be a gun used in the 2021 murder of a Grand Rapids teenager.
Fox 17 reports that an undercover detective was patrolling near Francis Avenue and Dickinson Street SE on Sept. 3, when he and another officer noticed something odd - a skunk "being illuminated with a red laser light."
The light appeared to be coming from an area nearby where two men were either in or around a black Nissan backed into a driveway. Police say the the skunk was being lit up by a laser sight attached to a black pistol one of the men was holding.
Apparently a tree obscured the bodies of the men, so police couldn't tell which one was holding the gun. The Nissan eventually took off and pulled into the parking lot at Fishladder Park downtown Grand Rapids.
Additional officers were called to the scene when the Nissan took off again. A police chase followed.
Police used spike strips to stop the vehicle on Alpine Avenue. One suspect, Robert Cooper, got out of the vehicle and was taken into custody. The other suspect, Jamal Honorable, drove off in the Nissan, but was later apprehended.
According to Fox 17, GRPD allegdly recovered two firearms from the car: A Taurus PT 92 AF, which had been reported stolen out of Lake County, and a Glock model 19 pistol.
The guns were sent to a Michigan State Police crime lab to be analyzed. According to investigators, they were able to link the guns to at least seven different unsolved crimes.
The Glock, in particular, was found to be a match for the May 29, 2021 murder of 15-year-old Ju'qwon Calvin. The gun was also linked to an October 2020 aggravated assault.
Despite their possession of the alleged murder weapon, police do not believe Cooper or Honorable were involved in Calvin's homicide, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker tells Fox 17. Someone else, 18-year-old Khavaree Nash, is currently facing charges for killing the teenager. Nash is facing three felony charges and a misdemeanor in relation to the murder. He's due back in court February 8, 2022.
Cooper and Honorable are facing concealed weapons charges after the skunk incident.