The Hired Guns Michigan Chapter is hosting its anniversary bike night, with the proceeds helping out three fallen officers in the area. The event takes place at the Motor City Eagles location in Redford, 24401 Five Mile Rd.
It’s $20 per person at the door, and the event includes food, drinks, vendors, raffles, and more.
Here are the officers we’ve lost in the line of duty.
Deputy William Butler Jr.
- Deputy Butler was a Deputy with the Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Office for 12 years
- He was killed in the line of Duty on June 27, 2024 while on a traffic stop. The suspect on this traffic stop had warrants and ultimately shot and killed Deputy Butler during the traffic stop.
- Deputy Butler was a veteran and served during Operation Iraqi Freedom
- Deputy Butler is survived by his wife and five children
Deputy Bradley J Reckling
- Deputy Reckling was a Deputy with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office for nine years and was assigned to the auto theft unit.
- Deputy Reckling was killed in the line of duty on June 22, 2024 while doing surveillance of a vehicle that was stolen earlier in the day.
- Deputy Reckling was following a vehicle in Detroit that was stolen from Oakland Co. earlier in the day when suddenly the vehicle stopped and its three occupants opened fired on Deputy Reckling ultimately taking his life.
- Deputy Reckling is survived by his Fiancé and three children.
Cpl. Mohamed Said
- Cpl Said was an officer with the Melvindale Police Department for 14 months.
- Cpl. Said was killed in the line of Duty on July 21st, 2024 while trying to take an armed robbery suspect into custody.
- After a foot chase with the suspect, Cpl. Said began fighting with the suspect trying to get into custody when the suspect pulled a gun and shot Cpl. Said.
- Cpl. Said is survived by his parents and multiple siblings.
Hired Guns MC is made up of 100% sworn Law Enforcement Officers
The club was created in 2002 in New Jersey by brother Joe, Jim, and Moe. It’s the the only 100% law enforcement MC in the world.
As I was told, the club was created not only because of their profession and love of motorcycles, but also as a way for them to give back to the communities and create a life-long bond with other officers. It also gives the officers a productive release from the stress of their careers.
They have chapters in 14 states including New Jersey, Michigan, Texas, Arizona, California, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Maine and Hawaii.
The Michigan Chapter was formed in 2012 and include officers from Detroit PD, Washtenaw and Oakland County Sheriff’s Offices, Redford, and Border Patrol.
They are a nonprofit charitable organization and do at least one charitable event each year where the proceeds are donated to a charity, usually law enforcement related.
We thank them for their service, and hope many people will attend this great function!
I’ve been fortunate to know Mara MacDonald for several years. I’ll be honest, I can’t recall where I met her first, but I do know this when I’m looking for an opinion about something, she always gives it to me straight. The Mara I know doesn’t mince words, and has no time for BS.
When it was announced that she and other WDIV favorites were going to be given “early retirement”, it really did mark a loss to the people of this area. Mara has been a staple on Local 4 for the past 20 years. When I asked her if she’d join me in the studio to discuss her career, she didn’t hesitate. That’s how she is.
Mara MacDonald In Studio
Even though she’s “retired”, she showed up at the station in high heels, makeup on point, looking TV-ready. Me, on the other hand, not so much.
She recalled her time in radio, where it all started. It began “300 years ago” in Lansing, according to Mara. She spoke to how she’d work around the clock. She was hungry to crack this business, and she did it through hard work and hustle. She even did a couple of days with yours truly in the morning the week between Drew & Mike and the start of Dave & Chuck 11 years ago.
Mara MacDonald “Back Here Live”
We also talked about her many years in local TV. Mara coined the phrase “Back Here Live”. She said, “I never put a conscience thought into it. It sort of evolved.” Some of her other phrases were “Take a walk with me” and “Let me break it down for you”.
One of the main things I wanted to talk with her about is the fact that she spent 20 years on Detroit TV, where she grew up, and the fact that her parents are still alive and watched her every day. What did it mean to her that her Mom and Dad could watch? “Everything!” She went on to say how her Mother helped her in her decision to take the buy-out.
Mara On Her Favorite Topic To Report On
Mara covered local and national politics. She told me she loved it, although more in the previous year. “Oh, politics. Politics. Yeah, well, let me rephrase that. I used to love covering politics in this state. And to a certain standard, I still do. And I’m certainly, you know, I read all the time and I’m paying attention, but it just seems like we’re in, this vicious circle where everybody’s angry all the time, from both parties. And the vitriol is such that.”
Over the years, the job of reporting the news has changed so much since 1994 when she started. “You know, because my first reporting job was in, what, 1994? So there was no Facebook, there was no socials, there was no, no any of that stuff. And, you know, we barely had we had cell phones.”
Did she get to pick the stories she reported on? “It depended on the day. Okay. Like, you know, we’re all a slave to the news cycle. So there are some days when it’s just not even a question what you’re going to be doing. Right? Because, you know, ideally, what a reporter is supposed to do is have good connections within the community and have people call them and tell them, hey, this is happening, or did you know about this or did you hear this or whatever? Which apparently is a dying art, but that ideally is, is what you’re supposed to do and you’re supposed to, you know, you’re supposed to have a phone that you can.” Mara is connected to the community!
Mara’s Huge Clothing Collection
As far as her vast amount of hats and winter jackets, Mara says she has a lot. It’s overflowing. But the thing is, you know, people always ask, how do you have all this stuff? I’m like, guys, I’ve been doing this for 30 years. Like. Like you build a collection, over time. And, you know, I just thought about this the other day. You’ve never seen me wear patterned clothing on TV. Because every consultant will tell you that you shouldn’t wear it because it’s distracting and all the rest of it. And I’m like, I could actually buy something that has, you know.“
Yes, Mara, go buy something plaid….you’ve earned it!
There’s so much more we covered. You can watch the entire conversation below….thank you so much, Mara! I wish you nothing but the best!!!
Meltdown started on the mighty WRIF on the evening of Halloween, 1995. Technically, his first on-air shift was the morning of November 1st. Moving to the Motor City from Buffalo, N.Y., he has built a career and family. Over his almost three-decade stint at RIFF, he's had the privilege to work with some of the biggest personalities in Detroit radio history. He boasts of being just the second-afternoon drive jock in the station's illustrious 53-year history.
Along with his love for rock music and attending concerts, he's also an avid Harley-Davidson enthusiast and hockey player. He plays year-round and manages to squeeze in a few charity games throughout the year. Meltdown writes about the Detroit Red Wings, rock music, and Detroit concert venues.
