Eastpointe Man Charged; RCMP Officer Also Charged

Joshua Mills, a 32-year-old Eastpointe man, is accused of leaving a Sterling Heights Walmart with $236.05 in merchandise, fleeing officers, being tased and — while on his back — sitting up and attempting to stab an officer in the face with a screwdriver, narrowly missing. He was arraigned on one count of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, two counts of assaulting/resisting/obstructing a police officer and a misdemeanor second-degree retail fraud charge; bond was set at $500,000 cash/surety, he must wear a GPS tether if released, and he is due back in court for a probable cause conference on Oct. 20 and a preliminary exam on Oct. 27; Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said he will pursue the case. Separately, in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, the Independent Investigation Unit says an RCMP constable has been charged with assault causing bodily harm over a July 21, 2024 arrest in which a detained man was hospitalized with a punctured lung. The IIU was mandated to investigate because of the injury and concluded its probe with charges; both matters remain under legal process.