Records paint carjacking suspect as escape artist

A carjacking suspect — on parole at the time police arrested him in a violent takedown caught on video — has a history of fleeing officers, and records paint him as an escape artist.

Andrew Jackson Jr., accused of robbing a Detroit woman at gunpoint in January in front of her grandchildren, is headed to trial on carjacking, armed robbery and other charges. He is to be arraigned Tuesday in Wayne County Circuit Court.

Jackson filed a $1-million lawsuit in federal court against the cities of Grosse Pointe Park and Highland Park and some of their officers, accusing police of using excessive force during his arrest. An attorney for Highland Park previously said the city's position is that "no wrongdoing was committed."

Hundreds of pages of Michigan Department of Corrections records, reviewed by the Free Press, detail Jackson's criminal history, which includes convictions on charges of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, assault with intent to rob while armed, fleeing police and stolen property offenses.

Records show the 51-year-old frequently fled from programs, parole and police.

He was a parole absconder when he allegedly pulled a gun on Phyllis Knox on Jan. 12 and told her he was robbing her, as her grandsons sat in the vehicle.

Jackson ran from police, who chased and arrested him. A video, take by a resident, shows officers punching and kicking Jackson, who calls out for Jesus, prompting one officer to exclaim: "Don't you dare!"

The video was widely circulated and the arrest — made by officers with a multi-agency auto theft task force — drew scrutiny and was investigated by the Michigan State Police. After receiving a warrant request from the State Police, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office launched an independent investigation, which continues, to determine whether to issue charges.

Attorney G. Gus Morris, who is representing Grosse Pointe Park in the federal lawsuit, declined to comment because of the ongoing criminal case involving Jackson and the investigation into the arrest.

Shortly after the arrest, Grosse Pointe Park Public Safety Director David Hiller said officers had arrested a dangerous felon and called their actions "proper."

History of fleeing

Corrections Department records show Jackson was in and out of prison, and they detail his history of walking away from programs and violating parole.

Rebekah Coleman, Jackson's attorney in the criminal case, said she is familiar with her client's history, "but I cannot give too much input on that at this point."

Records indicate Jackson went AWOL from the Army in the 1980s, left a drug treatment center in 1994 and failed to return to a facility after doing community service one day in 1995.

He left a residential program in 1997, failing to return from a doctor's appointment and later was arrested in Southfield after police saw him start a vehicle, which had been reported stolen, with a screwdriver in the parking lot of a motel, records show.

According to a police report, Jackson told police he had a crack cocaine and heroin addiction, and "that the vehicle was rented from a crack house."

He was sentenced to prison time and paroled June 30, 1999. About a week later, police caught him with a stolen truck. Jackson ran when officers attempted a traffic stop and, after he was arrested, he admitted to knowing the truck was stolen when he got it from a friend.

He was sentenced to jail and probation. His parole was suspended and, eventually, he was returned to a correctional facility, records indicate.

Jackson was paroled on March 28, 2002, and failed to attend a program in April. Records indicate Jackson was put into a Parole Violator Diversion Program.

He was paroled March 5, 2003, given a $185 parole loan and was supposed to check in at a hotel in Detroit — but he didn't. He was told by his field agent the next day to bring back the loan. According to records, Jackson showed up March 7, was seen by another agent and was told to come back March 10, but he never did. A friend said she would bring Jackson in on March 11, but that didn't happen.

Jackson was arrested in Dearborn in April 2003. When he was released in July, he again failed to check into the same hotel.

Police caught up with him in October following a robbery attempt at an eyeglass store in Southfield. According to records, two men went into the store, announced a robbery, ordered everyone to the floor and "shots were exchanged." One of the men "fled to a waiting vehicle driven by parolee Jackson" and they led police on a brief pursuit, according to records.

Jackson, convicted on charges of fleeing police, assault with intent to rob while armed and conspiracy to commit armed robbery, was sentenced in 2004 to serve 91/ 2 to 30 years in prison.

While incarcerated, he racked up misconducts, including those for insolence, testing positive for marijuana, being out of place, disobeying orders and smuggling drugs.

A worthy goal

Jackson, in a 2012 letter to the parole board, said he had been seeking programming to become a better citizen, and his goal was to complete parole.

"Board members, I have never ever completed probation or parole because I didn't put anything into it," he wrote. "I am a different thinker today than 9 years ago. … I am really a good man who wants another chance at doing what is right."

In 2013, in a document titled "Relapse Prevention Plan," Jackson indicated he would maintain a job, avoid drugs and report to his parole agent as required.

"I will remain crime-free and will not catch any new offenses," it said.

Jackson was paroled in September 2013. In April 2014, he walked away from parole, a corrections department spokesman previously said.

Knox testified last week that it was Jackson, whom she had seen walking around the neighborhood before, who robbed her at gunpoint in January and ordered her grandsons out of her vehicle.

"He pulled the car door open and pointed the gun at them and said, 'Get out,' " then sped off, Knox said in court.

Jackson was arrested that day by members of a task force made up of officers from Detroit, Grosse Pointe Park, Highland Park and Harper Woods.

One of those officers was Highland Park Sgt. Ron Dupuis, who has a career that includes brutality accusations, including using a Taser on a former partner. He has never been charged with any crimes.

Jackson's lawsuit, filed last month in U.S. District Court in Detroit, alleges that police used excessive force.

"Mr. Jackson did not resist the arrest and followed all commands of the police officers," according to the lawsuit. "During the arrest and after being handcuffed while facedown on the ground, Mr. Jackson was severely kicked and beaten."

The attorney representing Jackson in the brutality case did not return a call Friday seeking comment.

Nikkiya Branch, an attorney for Highland Park, previously said she feels "confident that the officer acted within the guidelines of the law."

Knox previously told the Free Press that she and her grandchildren were terrorized and that her family is backing the police. She noted that Jackson called out for Jesus as he was being arrested, but asked: "Where was Jesus when he pulled his gun on us?"

Contact Gina Damron: 313-223-4526 or gdamron@freepress.com.

Staff writer Tresa Baldas contributed to this report.