Another Detroit scandal!

I decided to check out John Ruberry's assertion made in a comment that if you look on the websites of Detriot's two newspapers Detriot Free Press and Detriot news, I absolutely found that auto-industry news right on both of their homepages. The problem here is that, well the American auto-industry is in decline. That may or may not change, but another story grabbed my attention looking at both of these news-sites...

A former homicide lieutenant who investigated the death of exotic dancer Tamara Greene said in a sworn affidavit he suspects the woman was killed by a member of the Detroit Police Department.

Lt. Alvin Bowman also said in the affidavit he is aware of links between Greene and "high-ranking city employees" and an unnamed associate of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.

Bowman gave the deposition in a federal lawsuit brought by Greene's family against the city of Detroit, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and other city officials.

Greene's family alleges that top city officials interfered with the investigation of Greene's April 30, 2003, drive-by killing for political reasons. City officials deny the allegations.

Greene's name has been linked to a long rumored but never substantiated party at the mayor's Manoogian Mansion.

Bowman, who alleged in a separate lawsuit that he was transferred out of homicide for attempting to investigate Greene's killing, said in a Feb. 29 affidavit, "I suspected that the shooter was a law enforcement officer, and more specifically, a Detroit Police Department officer."

Bowman was awarded $200,000 in a jury trial against the city.

Deputy Chief James Tate, a spokesman for Detroit police, could not be reached for comment this morning. James Canning, a spokesman for the mayor, declined comment, citing ongoing litigation.

Mayer Morganroth, the Southfield attorney representing the city and the mayor in the Greene civil lawsuit, today described the Bowman allegations as "garbage."

"It's ridiculous," Morganroth said of the party allegations. "Find a person who was there. Find a person who knows anything firsthand."

Greene was shot about 18 times with a .40 caliber weapon -- the kind issued to Detroit police -- while sitting in a parked vehicle, Bowman said in the affidavit.

Bowman believed Greene was the target of a contract killing, partly because the shooter had ample opportunity to shoot the male passenger in the vehicle, but did not do so, he said.

"In the course of our investigation, I learned from the Michigan State Police that they possessed a telephone record linking Ms. Greene to high-ranking city employees not long before her murder," Bowman said in the affidavit.

"I also learned that Tamara Greene danced for and was employed by an associate of Mayor Kilpatrick."

Morganroth said Attorney General Mike Cox investigated the party allegations and ruled it an urban legend. A .40 caliber Glock is a gun frequently used by drug dealers, not just police officers, he said.

I wondered if this might be the new scandal that isn't needed in Detroit right now since Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is embattled thanks to some perjury and some text messages. Carrying on an affair with his now former chief of staff. This has been something that has been floating around in the press, in fact I've covered it here, for the better part of two months or so now! I wonder if this needed to happen for Kilpatrick right now!