Prosecutors weigh second mental-health evaluation in Novi ambulance hijacking case
A state forensic evaluation found Changlin Li can raise an insanity defense in the alleged hijacking of an ambulance and a police chase last fall. Prosecutors are deciding whether to seek their own evaluation; a pretrial is set for Nov. 10.
By OCJ Staff
Oakland County prosecutors are deciding whether to get their own mental-health evaluation of a man accused of taking an ambulance with a patient and an emergency medical technician inside and leading police on a chase last October, C&G News reported Thursday.
Changlin Li, formerly of Novi, is accused of taking the ambulance at the scene of a four-vehicle crash at 10 Mile and Novi roads in Novi, according to C&G. Police said the chase ended when the ambulance crashed at Eight Mile and Beck roads in Northville Township. Li is also accused in a separate case of attacking a jail worker while he was in custody last fall. He is presumed innocent.
The state Center for Forensic Psychiatry found Li can raise an insanity defense, C&G reported. Defense attorney Joseph Xuereb told C&G the evaluator recommended a finding of not guilty by reason of insanity in both cases.
An Oct. 13 pretrial hearing was adjourned at prosecutors' request so they could decide whether to seek an independent evaluation. Assistant Prosecutor Andrea Ajlouni said "the people need to assess" whether to do so, according to C&G.
The cases are before Oakland County Circuit Judge Jacob Cunningham. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Nov. 10.
Sources: C&G News, Oct. 22, 2026; C&G News, October 2025; CBS Detroit.