I've read and heard this about Willie's direct involvement in the 1967 riots in excerpts such as this:

During the 1967 Detroit 12th Street riot, he tried bravely to restore peace. He stood in his Tiger uniform on a car in the middle of the chaos, pleading for calm. However, despite his impassioned pleas, the city burned for five more days.

I know Willie has often talked about this in interviews and probalby in his book. But yet I've only heard it from Willie himself. Did this really happen? No, I am not calling Willie a liar but I find it odd that I've yet to come across a primary source covering this happening. My parents saved hardcopies of the Detroit dailies from the riot period and I don't recall seeing any coverage in them about a Tigers player--in full uniform, no less--in the midst of the riot zone. One would think such would be highly newsworthy. Here and there I've done internet searches on this subject and only find Willie's own account or others simply rehashing the above.

Does anyone know of a primary source, other than Willie himself, that covers this happening?