ST. CLAIR SHORES, Mich. — Macomb County Prosecutor Pete Lucido said he will decide Monday whether to charge a man accused of making hateful comments before allegedly driving his car toward a group of volunteers distributing campaign material this month supporting Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

Lucido said his office's Hate Crimes Division is looking into the allegations, "and we should be able to say whether we'll charge this guy today. We have the evidence, including the 911 call that was made, statements from the accused, and statements from the witnesses."

One of the witnesses was Melissa Crook, who told The Detroit News she feared for her life Oct. 12 when the man gunned the engine of his Mercedes before speeding toward her and other volunteers outside the VFW Bruce Post on Jefferson Avenue near Martin.

"I was in a neck brace because I had neck surgery, and I couldn't move to my right; I could only step backward," said Crook, 41, of St. Clair Shores. "He stopped his vehicle less than two feet from where I'd moved to. I thought that man was going to kill me."

Crook, who said she regularly helps organize events for the Democratic Party, said the incident happened at about 3:45 p.m. outside an "activation tent" she'd helped set up hours earlier. A similar tent outside the VFW hall touting Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump had stood on the spot during previous weekends.

"Most of the people who came were happy to see us there," Crook said. "We did get a few people who thought we were the Trump tent, but when they found out we were for Harris-Walz, they just turned around and left. But one man became very enraged."

Another volunteer, Michael Denomme, said he greeted the man after he parked his car and approached the tent.

"We were kind of winding down for the day," the 37-year-old St. Clair Shores resident said. "This guy pulls up and as he walks up I greet him, like I'd been doing. He asks where the Trump tent was; there had been a Trump tent there in previous weeks. I told him, 'Sorry; it's the Kamala Harris tent.' He said, 'What do you think Kamala Harris is going to do for you?' and I'm like, 'Oh, God.'"

Denomme said he and other volunteers "shared our position with him, and pointed out Harris' policies and why we didn't want Trump in office. He went from zero to 100; he's saying, 'that's BS; you all look like idiots.' He then started pointing fingers and saying, 'f___ you'... He called me a (gay slur) and pointed to a bystander and called her (another gay slur). As he was walking back to his car, he started screaming insults, and says, 'When Trump gets elected, we're gonna exterminate you all.'"

Crook and Denomme said the man then got into his car and gunned the engine.

"He could've backed out (of the parking spot), but he pointed it right at me and the tent," Crook said.

The man then drove at a high rate of speed toward the tent before slamming on the brakes, Crook and Denomme said.

Crook said she's not aware that anyone took video of the alleged incident. "I had my phone out, and literally as I was about to hit record, that's when he started driving toward me. There are 10 witnesses who saw it, though."

Denomme said he also had his phone out, "But there wasn't time to take video. Melissa and I had to dodge out of the way, and he slammed on the brakes maybe five, 10 feet before he reached the tent. Then, he backs up, turns right on Jefferson, and guns it down Jefferson."

Members of the group called 911, and Crook and Denomme said they and the other witnesses all gave reports to the responding St. Clair Shores officer

"We only gave a partial plate and the vehicle description," Crook said. "(The suspect) was pulled over the next day for a traffic violation, and because of the partial plate and description of the car, the police asked him if he was the person who was involved (in the alleged incident), and he fully admitted it to police ... so that helped. I'm glad he admitted it, since we don't have video."

Crook said officials at the VFW hall told her their surveillance camera is not trained on the area where the alleged incident happened.

St. Clair Shores police did not immediately respond to a call seeking comment Monday.

Lucido said he wasn't sure whether police had pulled video from nearby businesses.

"That's all part of what's being investigated by our team," he said. "We should know more in a few hours."

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