State Rep. Womack Says Robbery Points to ‘Social Problem’ in Detroit

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Rep. Jimmy Womack, D-Detroit, went to a convenience store on McNichols Road between Second and Hamilton avenues to buy a bottle of champagne around 8 p.m. Sunday after a day of campaigning and church.

When he returned to his car, three men pulled out guns and asked for his keys. Womack said he refused, so the men told him to start the car.

“I said, ‘I’m not starting the car, and I’m not giving you the car,’ ” said Womack, who admitted his initial reaction may not have been wise. “Your life is worth more than anything material. … That was stupid. That was stupid. I know that.”

Stupid or not, the suspects decided to forgo the car and instead stole nearly $300 from Womack’s shirt pocket, which he said the men likely saw when he paid for the wine.

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At least four people witnessed the robbery, Womack said, and he expressed frustration with the idea of men robbing someone in public, saying it’s a sign of a “social problem” in Detroit.

“These people are so brazen they know they can get away with it,” he said. “It is very, very disheartening when people who live in a neighborhood, they see you, you see them, but they have no problem robbing you.”