91³Ô¹ÏÍø

Watch CBS News
Crime

Michigan man heads to prison after attempting to stab officer with screwdriver during shoplifting arrest

By
Joseph Buczek
Manager of Digital Content and Promotion, CBS Detroit
Joe Buczek is manager of digital content and promotion at CBS Detroit. He previously worked at WWTV, the Grand Traverse Insider, the Leader and the Kalkaskian, the Oakland Press and the Morning Sun.
Read Full Bio
Joseph Buczek

/ CBS Detroit

An Eastpointe man accused of attempting to stab a police officer with a screwdriver during a shoplifting arrest is now heading to prison. 

Joshua Mills, 32, was sentenced Thursday to five to 20 years in prison on one count of assault with intent to do great bodily harm and received an additional two to four years for two counts of resisting, obstructing or assaulting a police officer and one year for second-degree retail fraud. 

The incident happened on Oct. 5, 2025, when Sterling Heights police were called to the Walmart on Van Dyke Road after employees alleged someone left the store without paying for merchandise. 

When police arrived at the store, they say Mills ran off. An officer pursued Mills and deployed a Taser.

While Mills was on the ground, prosecutors say an officer attempted to place him under arrest. Mills then sat up and attempted to stab the officer in the face with a screwdriver, narrowly missing him, according to the authorities. 

In addition, Mills was sentenced to 5 1/2 to 20 years in prison in a separate assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder case against his wife in Eastpointe, prosecutors said. Mills also received one year in prison for second-offense domestic violence. 

Prosecutors say all sentences will run concurrently, and Mills is credited for 193 days served. 

During the sentencing hearing, a judge ordered that Mills not have contact with Walmart or the officers involved and that he must refrain from assaultive, intimidating or threatening behavior toward the complaining witness. 

"Today's sentencing reflects the seriousness of the defendant's actions—violence against a spouse and an attack on law enforcement. This kind of conduct endangers not only individual victims, but the safety and order of our entire community," said Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido. 

Paula Wethington contributed to this report.

In:

© 2026 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
const link = doc.createElement('link'); link.rel = 'stylesheet'; link.href = '/fly/fly/bundles/cbsnewscontent/css/cmp-banner.min.css?v=296763317a51cab90faa73f1bb146d5c'; doc.head.appendChild(link); doc.body.innerHTML = CONSENT_MESSAGE; } else { el.insertAdjacentHTML('afterend', CONSENT_MESSAGE); } }); } function hidePrivacyMessage() { // Remove from the main document document.querySelectorAll(`.${CONSENT_MESSAGE_CLASS}`).forEach(el => el.remove()); // Remove from inside any iframes document.querySelectorAll('iframe').forEach(iframe => { const doc = iframe.contentDocument || iframe.contentWindow.document; doc.querySelectorAll(`.${CONSENT_MESSAGE_CLASS}`).forEach(el => el.remove()); }); } function activateGatedScripts() { // Handle both new format (cmp-gated-script) and old OneTrust/Ketch format (optanon-category-4) const gatedScripts = Array.from(document.querySelectorAll('script.cmp-gated-script, script.optanon-category-4')); // Activate scripts sequentially with a small delay to avoid timing issues let delay = 0; gatedScripts.forEach(function(placeholder, index) { setTimeout(function() { // Skip if already processed if (placeholder.hasAttribute('data-cmp-processed')) { return; } placeholder.setAttribute('data-cmp-processed', 'true'); const newScript = document.createElement('script'); newScript.type = 'text/javascript'; // Try new format first (data-cmp-src), then fall back to old format (data-src) const src = placeholder.getAttribute('data-cmp-src') || placeholder.getAttribute('data-src'); if (src) { newScript.src = src; } else if (placeholder.textContent) { // Inline script - just copy the content newScript.textContent = placeholder.textContent; } // Handle new format attributes (data-cmp-attrs) - for both inline and external scripts const attrs = placeholder.getAttribute('data-cmp-attrs'); if (attrs) { const tempDiv = document.createElement('div'); tempDiv.innerHTML = '
<\/div>'; const tempAttrs = tempDiv.firstChild.attributes; for (let i = 0; i < tempAttrs.length; i++) { // For external scripts, allow defer/async. For inline scripts, skip them (not valid) if (src || (tempAttrs[i].name !== 'async' && tempAttrs[i].name !== 'defer')) { newScript.setAttribute(tempAttrs[i].name, tempAttrs[i].value); } } } // Copy other attributes from old OneTrust format for (let i = 0; i < placeholder.attributes.length; i++) { const attr = placeholder.attributes[i]; // Skip attributes we've already handled or don't want to copy if (!['class', 'data-src', 'data-type', 'data-cmp-src', 'data-cmp-attrs', 'data-cmp-processed', 'type', 'async', 'defer', 'src'].includes(attr.name)) { newScript.setAttribute(attr.name, attr.value); } } placeholder.parentNode.replaceChild(newScript, placeholder); // If external script, manually trigger window.onload handlers after it loads // This handles widgets that use window.onload for initialization if (src) { newScript.addEventListener('load', function() { // If page already loaded and script set a new onload handler, trigger it if (document.readyState === 'complete' && window.onload) { const originalOnload = window.onload; window.onload = null; // Clear temporarily to prevent loops originalOnload(); // Execute the handler } }); } }, delay); delay += 500; // 500ms delay between each script to allow full loading }); } cbsoptanon.onScriptsReady(function(cmp) { cmp.ot.targetingAllowed(function(allowed) { if (!allowed) { showPrivacyMessage(); } else { activateGatedScripts(); } }); cmp.ot.awaitInitialConsent(function(consent_model) { cmp.ot.addOnConsentChangedHandler(function() { cmp.ot.targetingAllowed(function(allowed) { if (allowed) { hidePrivacyMessage(); activateGatedScripts(); } else { showPrivacyMessage(); } }); }); }); });