State Sen. Vigil Smith is a suspect in a domestic dispute outside his Detroit home earlier Sunday in which shots were fired at a woman's vehicle, two police sources told the Free Press.
The incident occurred about 1 a.m. and Smith was brought in later in the day for questioning, one of the sources said. It was unclear Sunday evening whether Smith was still being held.
According to the police sources, the shots were fired at a Mercedes belonging to Smith's girlfriend, who is his ex-wife. She was not injured.
A third police source told the Free Press a woman in her 30s called 911 about 1 a.m. saying a man fired shots at her and that her car had been struck. The source, who did not have authority to speak publicly about the investigation and requested anonymity, said the shooting occurred outside Smith's home on the 18600 block of Wexford on the city's north end,
Police spokeswoman Cassandra Lewis declined to release details because the incident was considered a domestic matter. She said a person called police to report being shot at, and that the person suspected of firing the gun was not at the home when police arrived.
Neither Smith nor his spokesman could be reached for comment Sunday.
Smith is a key ally for Mayor Mike Duggan in his proposed plan to get cheaper insurance rates for Detroiters. When the mayor announced the plan on April 30, Smith promised to introduce what he called the D-Insurance bill, and he said he was confident he'd be able to win approval in both chambers of the Legislature.
Smith, a Democrat, represents Senate District 4, which includes portions of Detroit, Allen Park, Lincoln Park and Southgate.
Smith, a graduate of Michigan State and Western Michigan universities, was first elected to the state House of Representatives in 2002. He was elected to the Senate in 2010. His father, Virgil Smith Jr., served more than 20 years in the Legislature.
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