vestigators he was attacked with a screwdriver, forced from the driver's seat of his van and then had to jump while it was moving to survive. (United States District Court of Eastern Michigan)

How police say they tracked the van

Around 6:20 a.m., Livonia police officers said they spotted the van being driven by Randall and ran the plate but lost sight of it before they could stop it.

A little after 7 a.m., the feds said license plate reader technology showed the van near W. Warren and Grand River. The van was then located at 7:35 a.m. as it continued east on E. Warren at Conner.

Then around 8:15 a.m., license plate readers picked it up again -- this time  further west  at E. Outer Drive and Mound, then again at W. 7 Mile and Woodward.

Police then saw it turn south onto Woodingham Drive from 7 Mile, and officers began mobile surveillance.

Traffic stop, crash and arrest

By about 9:30 a.m., police said they activated lights and sirens and tried to stop the van.

Randall then, according to the feds,  attempted to flee,  but lost control and crashed into a building on Livernois in Detroit. After the crash, officers said Randall tried to take off running, but police caught him after  a short foot pursuit. 

Police said Randall was wearing a black jacket, black shirt, black pants, and  a balaclava covering his head and lower face.  Investigators said that matched what the victim had described.

The lineup: what the victim said he recognized

Investigators said they showed the victim a lineup that included a Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) photo of Randall from a few years ago. In that older photo, the complaint said MDOC records listed Randall at 6'5  and 350 pounds, and investigators said he carried  significantly more body weight  in the prison photo than at the time of the carjacking.

In the lineup, the complaint says, the victim  failed to identify  Randall and instead picked a different man with  minimal confidence.  The victim allegedly said the attacker's face covering  did not give him a good enough view of his face to make an accurate pick. 

But the feds said the victim was later shown a screenshot of Randall taken shortly after the arrest, and this time, the victim recognized the person based on body and clothing. The victim  immediately identified  the person in the image as the one who attacked him, the complaint said.

Why it's a federal case

According to the feds, since the van was manufactured in Lorain, Ohio, Randall allegedly  took a motor vehicle, transported, shipped, or received in interstate commerce from the person or presence of another by force and violence or by intimidation and with intent to cause death or serious bodily harm. 

Court records show Randall is incarcerated in Jackson for another crime and is in custody of the MDOC. The court issued a writ ordering Randall to appear in federal court.

Randall is ordered to appear on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. in downtown Detroit.