Oakland County man arrested for allegedly threatening to kill attorney, judge

CBS News Detroit Digital Brief for July 7, 2023

(CBS DETROIT) - A New Hudson man was arrested after he allegedly threatened to kill his attorney and a judge.

According to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, 31-year-old James Worrall was arrested Friday in Brighton after a brief struggle with authorities, in which he punched a detective in the face multiple times. The officer was treated for broken facial bones.

Prosecutors charged Worrall with making a false report or threat of terrorism and using a computer to commit a crime. Investigators are seeking additional charges for assaulting the detective and resisting arrest, the sheriff's office says.

Worrall led police on a 48-hour hunt after he failed to appear in court on a fleeing and eluding charge in Novi Wednesday, according to a press release.

The sheriff's office says the mother of Worrall's daughter reported that the suspect posted threatening comments against the government, the attorney who represented him, and 52-1 District Court Judge Travis Reeds. After the court was notified of the threat, the judge set a $1 million bond.

Worrall was first spotted Wednesday driving through the courthouse parking lot in Novi. That chase led police through Wixom and Commerce Township before it ended in Milford.

On Thursday, Worrall was seen again near the Michigan-Ohio border, leading to a chase from police in Toledo and the Ohio State Highway Patrol until he fled back to Michigan.

Police found Worrall at about 9:30 a.m. on Friday at a mobile home in Lyon Township. He drove away, evading the police, but was taken into custody hours later in Brighton. 

"This clearly unhinged and violent individual is thankfully in custody due to the dedicated work of a variety of agencies, especially our Fugitive Apprehension Team," Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in a statement. "I look forward to him being held fully accountable for his actions."  

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.