Michigan’s Mazi Smith was going 50 in a 25, had loaded gun and ammunition in pocket during traffic stop and arrest, records show
December 6th, 2022 at 1:59 PM ^
Can we not? Can we just not?
December 6th, 2022 at 3:41 PM ^
I am truly thankful that the indiscretions of my youth, which were many, were not plastered across the blogosphere.
December 6th, 2022 at 3:53 PM ^
We’re you ever charged with a felony?
December 6th, 2022 at 4:12 PM ^
If I’d have been caught, absolutely
December 6th, 2022 at 4:27 PM ^
I certainly could have been. 19 years old, down at the Detroit Yacht Club, on my boss's boat to watch the Gold Cup Hydroplane Races. Got into a little spat with my gf and decided to drink my troubles away. After a couple of beers, I proceeded to drink 90% of a fifth of scotch in two guzzles.
The last thing I remember was a girl walking up to me and telling me she had never seen anyone drink scotch like that and that she had asked to smell the bottle to confirm it was really scotch.
Had they let me drive home, like I was intent on doing, (so they told me) I could have easily killed someone.
I could have very easily ended up in the other Big House.
December 6th, 2022 at 6:01 PM ^
I was. A few times. so fucking what?
December 6th, 2022 at 3:34 PM ^
MLive updated the story. Not clear whether it was loaded or not. Initial story said it was loaded.
Dumb decision on Mazi’s part, but every one of you would also put the gun away from yourself if you were driving while Black.
December 6th, 2022 at 3:35 PM ^
Nice excuse.
If your white just point at the Cops
December 6th, 2022 at 4:00 PM ^
Excuse for what? Mazi is an idiot for driving 50 in a 25. He is also dumb for having the gun in the car when he hadn't gotten his license yet.
Keeping the gun away from his person was also probably the smartest decision he made on the day given his race. Hell, his race probably had a bit to do with why he got pulled over in the first place.
December 6th, 2022 at 5:49 PM ^
Yeh. Someone going 50 in a 25 zone will only get pulled over if the cops see that they're Black. I got a ticket for going considerably less than 50 in a 25 zone. I guess I'm Black. It's funny. I always thought I was White.
Seriously, why do people believe such absurd ideas.
December 6th, 2022 at 6:30 PM ^
Yeah 50 in a 25 gets you pulled over.
December 6th, 2022 at 8:03 PM ^
Smith attorney says the patrol office estimated 35-40 mph. Whoever this McDonagh guy is seems to like to embellish.
December 6th, 2022 at 7:14 PM ^
I don't know if that's the case here, but it does happen, and it's why women friends of mine are afraid when their sons and husbands go out into the world, especially in places where there aren't a lot of black people, like rural Indiana. A black man stands out like, well, a black man in rural Indiana. So it's not such an absurd idea.
December 6th, 2022 at 6:02 PM ^
your parents must be so disappointed
also it’s “if **you’re** white ….”
December 6th, 2022 at 7:57 PM ^
Disappointed in what?
December 6th, 2022 at 4:26 PM ^
Super dumb to drive that fast and not to keep the pistol secured in the trunk until the license came through, but he's a kid.
Agreed that you do not want to have a pistol on your person when pulled over, whether you're black or white, and glad Mazi seems to have handled the arrest well. (I assume we'll get dashboard video and audio soon.)
For the record, the smart thing for everybody to do is keep your hands on the wheel and visible, tell the officer there's a gun in the car, and not to move your hands without confirming with the officer even if you think he or she wants you to. For example, if the officer asks for your registration, keep your hands on the wheel and say "The registration is in my glove box. Would you like me to get it for you, officer?" I've been doing that since high school, and occasionally a cop looks at you funny, but it's best to avoid any confusion.
December 6th, 2022 at 5:53 PM ^
Rather basic common sense. Don't know why it's not obvious to anyone with even a minimal IQ.
December 6th, 2022 at 6:47 PM ^
In a tense, highly stressful situation - such as getting pulled over by a cop (especially if you are young and even more especially if you are black) - when the heart is pounding, respiration is sped up, etc. it's not always easy or obvious to remember exactly what todo act in the "common sense" way.
The advice offered is sound
December 6th, 2022 at 3:47 PM ^
Editor’s note: The original story mentioned that Smith’s handgun was loaded. Ann Arbor police clarified that it is not clear in the police report whether it was loaded or not.
MLive just sneakily added this to the top of the article
December 6th, 2022 at 3:50 PM ^
“His gun was not loaded in his vehicle,” said Smith’s attorney John Shea. “The police report clearly says that the magazines were found separate and apart from the handgun itself.”
December 6th, 2022 at 3:59 PM ^
Attorney Shea is a friend and a credible source of information.
December 6th, 2022 at 8:55 PM ^
I believe nothing until RCMB says it’s the Blue Wall.
December 7th, 2022 at 8:08 AM ^
People posting a lot of idiot opinions BEFORE all the facts are out. Looks like RCMB in here on a hot summer day.
December 6th, 2022 at 1:53 PM ^
Obviously Toby missed the META thread the other day on how to imbed links so here you go.
My thoughts on the story are;
1. That's a lot of bullets (49 if my math is correct) to be just driving around with. It's not a lot of bullets, however, if he was heading to a gun range. And I totally get why he'd want to get the gun off his person - shit I'm a 63 year old white dude and I'd be scared of what a cop might do if he noticed I was carrying. I can only imagine what would go through the mind of a young black man in that situation.
2. 50 in a 25 can happen, especially if the speed limit dropped quickly. But it's pretty stupid non-the-less. I would tell my son the same thing if it happened to him.
And while this doesnt change the actual story one bit it will sadly, give our "friends" at RCMB and 11 Warriors something to knash their teeth and render their garments over for a while.
December 6th, 2022 at 1:58 PM ^
I, on the other hand, learned something new!
December 6th, 2022 at 2:34 PM ^
Now THOSE are some rendered garments!
December 6th, 2022 at 2:14 PM ^
Can I lure you with the promise of a knash?
December 6th, 2022 at 3:23 PM ^
No. But maybe with a knish.
December 6th, 2022 at 4:42 PM ^
(that was the joke)
December 6th, 2022 at 2:30 PM ^
Especially Ann Arbor. That town is loaded with speed traps.
December 6th, 2022 at 3:10 PM ^
I still don’t think this should be a big deal. But, that’s not a speed trap. That’s a quiet little neighborhood. As a 20 year old I wouldn’t drive 50 in a neighborhood. As a 50 year old dad I would drive 20. No one should feel the need to speed in a neighborhood. Or feel like they need to pass a bicyclist on a blind turn. I’ve seen too many stupid and dangerous situations where mathematically they might be lucky to save 60 seconds in their commute.
December 6th, 2022 at 2:46 PM ^
- 100 rounds is 20-30 minutes at a gun range. It's a trivial amount.
- I don't know what the rules are in Michigan for weapon concealment or stowing while driving but if you're not in a universal CCW state, carrying a loaded and unsecured weapon in your car is...not a great look
- Loaded vs unloaded can be a huge deal in certain states
- Hindsight, 20/20, blah blah - he should have waited for his application to clear and almost none of this would have been an issue.
- Agree with you on the speeding. Although 25 mph zones are mostly revenue generating machines for municipalities.
December 6th, 2022 at 3:24 PM ^
If you're actually a medic, I hope you don't think 25MPH limits are strictly for revenue! The difference between hitting someone at 25 vs. even 35 is significant
From AAA: "Results show that the average risk of severe injury for a pedestrian struck by a vehicle reaches 10% at an impact speed of 16 mph, 25% at 23 mph, 50% at 31 mph, 75% at 39 mph, and 90% at 46 mph"
December 6th, 2022 at 5:14 PM ^
20-30 minutes???!!!
December 6th, 2022 at 5:37 PM ^
This. With a rifle at a 100+ yard range, maybe, but for a pistol, if it takes you a half an hour for 100 rounds you're an old person :)
December 7th, 2022 at 12:45 AM ^
How long does it taken to get a CCW in Michigan? Has anyone said if it was applied for prior to the incident?
December 7th, 2022 at 7:53 AM ^
My understanding is yes, he had done all of the required classes and paperwork, it just had not been filed/approved/stamped yet. He jumped the gun in carrying, if you will.
December 6th, 2022 at 2:53 PM ^
Thanks for the info. I hope your balls (https://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/mgrowold-appreciation-thread) are OK.
December 6th, 2022 at 4:05 PM ^
If he just bought the ammo, they usually come in boxes of 25/50, so having that many means he had two boxes of ammo that he bought. You can easily shoot that many in a short time at the range.
December 6th, 2022 at 4:18 PM ^
That’s hardly any bullets. You can hold them all in both hands.
December 6th, 2022 at 5:16 PM ^
When I go shooting I just bring one single ammo box.
However, that one ammo box carries all my ammo and magazines for all my guns and at any given time it can have a few thousand rounds in it. A brick of .22lr can be 500-1,000 by itself.
Not a big deal if you ask me, but on the news, a guy carrying multiple thousands of rounds sounds like the next mass murderer.
December 7th, 2022 at 2:31 PM ^
Let’s be real, you don’t drive to the range with the gun on you, it goes in the trunk if you don’t have a permit. That’s also far less ammo than almost anyone takes to the range. I have no idea what he was doing so I can’t say factually he was or was not going to the range, and neither can anyone else not named Smith.
December 7th, 2022 at 7:15 PM ^
He was driving a Dodge Ram so no trunk, and possibly no similar lockable compartment aside from the passenger compartment. Still not a smart move, but if you're transporting a gun and ammo you're not going to put it in an open pickup truck bed.
December 8th, 2022 at 9:47 AM ^
True and a good point. Having the gun behind the seat initially would have likely met that requirement. Having the magazine loaded and in the same location as the firearm isn’t legal in my state (without a permit), but I’m not sure about Michigan law. They cover that extensively, at least in the course I took, but teens do some pretty not smart things.
December 6th, 2022 at 5:42 PM ^
The subdivision street right next to the street I live on has a 45mph speed limit. There is a school on that street and in the school zone when the lights are blinking yellow the speed limit becomes 25mph. On any given school day as I am walking down that street to go pick up my daughter from school I see AT LEAST two or three cars going AT LEAST 50mph through the 25mph zone. No cops anywhere in sight, ever.
I know, the important part of all this is the gun but speeding is an epidemic in our society.
December 6th, 2022 at 6:10 PM ^
That is not a lot of bullets unless Mazi was using a muzzle loader.
I can dump 200 rounds or more target shooting in my yard in less than an hour.
Pretty standard to take a few hundred rounds to the range if you don’t have a yard to shoot in
December 7th, 2022 at 2:33 PM ^
It’s suggests he wasn’t going to the range. If he was going to the range there would be no reason to have the magazines loaded, Ranges use a magnet to verify the bullets are not steel tip/lap. You can’t do that if they are in the magazine, he would have had to take the bullets out when he got there, have them tested, and then reload the magazine.
December 6th, 2022 at 1:53 PM ^
Do you have a point?