DETROIT – A 22-year-old Livonia man broke down in tears during his arraignment after being hit with a slate of felony charges for allegedly spraying fire extinguishers at Detroit police officers on three separate occasions amid chaotic street takeovers and illegal drag racing.
Zachary Robert Stacer appeared in 36th District Court over the weekend, where video captured him openly sobbing and covering his face as the judge outlined the seriousness of the allegations. Prosecutors say Stacer approached marked police vehicles and discharged fire extinguishers at officers who were trying to break up large gatherings of cars and crowds blocking city streets.
The first incident allegedly took place around 4:15 p.m. on June 22 near Grand River Avenue and West Warren Avenue. Officers responding to a street takeover reported that Stacer walked up to a patrol car, sprayed the extinguisher, and fled the scene.
Two more attacks followed in the early morning hours of July 12. Around midnight, police were dispersing traffic near Van Dyke Avenue and Charlevoix Street when Stacer allegedly repeated the tactic. Just three hours later, near Grand River Avenue and McGraw Street, investigators say he struck again during another drag-racing response.
Stacer now faces two counts of assault with intent to do great bodily harm, three counts of felonious assault, and five counts of resisting and obstructing a police officer. Some of the officers involved sought hospital treatment after the attacks, according to court proceedings.
At the arraignment, the judge labeled Stacer “dangerous” and ordered him held on a $50,000 cash bond with no 10% option. Defense attorneys requested house arrest so the young man could be supervised at home; the request was denied.
Viral video circulating online juxtaposes footage of Stacer’s emotional courtroom breakdown with night-time scenes of the very street takeovers he is accused of participating in cars spinning, thick white clouds of extinguisher powder filling the air, and officers trying to restore order amid the chaos.
Street takeovers have become a persistent public safety headache in Detroit and other cities, drawing large crowds, endangering drivers and bystanders, and repeatedly putting law enforcement in harm’s way. Authorities say the powder from fire extinguishers can cause respiratory distress, eye irritation, and temporary blindness, turning a common safety tool into a weapon against those sworn to protect the public.
Stacer was arrested July 30 after an investigation linked him to all three incidents. He remains in custody pending further court proceedings.
