Bodycam: Detroit Police Stop Suspect who Raised Gun at Officers

By Charles E. Ramirez

Source The Detroit News

Detroit police have released camera footage of a shooting that wounded a suspect last month on the city's east side.

The Detroit Police Department posted the video on its official YouTube channel on Saturday. It includes footage captured by both body camera and police vehicle dashboard camera.

Before the footage of the incident, Police Chief Todd Bettison said the video was released as part of his commitment to the community that the department is being transparent.

Officials also said the investigation into the incident is in its early stages and could take up to a year to complete. "Our understanding of this incident may change as additional evidence is collected, analyzed, and reviewed," the department said. "We do not draw any conclusions on whether the officers acted consistent with our policies and the law, until all the facts are known, and the investigation is complete."

Commander Anthony O'Rourke provided a recap of the incident, which happened at about 10:20 p.m. on Sept. 18 in the area of Kelly and Moross roads.

He said gang intelligence unit officers approached a group of men who were drinking intoxicants from clear plastic cups. In Michigan, it is illegal to consume alcohol in public. The crime is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 93 days in jail for the first offense.

Police exited their vehicle to speak to one of the men, who turned away from them, according to the commander.

Officers gave the man several commands, but he ignored them and ran, O'Rourke said. Police said they believed the man was armed because they saw the outline of a weapon through his clothing.

"They continued to pursue, giving him commands to stop," O'Rourke said. "The individual at some point during the pursuit drew his handgun and was running with the handgun around businesses, through alleys, through parking lots."

An officer came around a building and saw the suspect with a gun in his hand, authorities said.

"While facing the officer, he raised his gun and the officer fired shots, which disabled and hit the subject while he was in the process of throwing the handgun onto a business's rooftop, " O'Rourke said.

In the video, an officer can be heard shouting commands at the suspect to drop the weapon and telling him he's going to get shot. The officer firing at the suspect is not on screen, but can be heard.

In September, officials said the suspect, who is in his 20s, was wounded.

O'Rourke said in the video that the officer fired a total of eight shots, and six of them struck the suspect.

Police secured the suspect and immediately rendered aid to him, he said. Officers also recovered the suspect's weapon.

Second Deputy Police Chief Grant Ha said in the video that the incident is being investigated by a task force made up of the Michigan State Police, the Detroit Police Department's Homicide Unit, and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

He said the task force's findings will be submitted to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office for review.

The department will also conduct its own investigation to determine whether the officer's actions were justified, whether they complied with its rules and policies, and whether they were consistent with his training, Ha said.

Other agencies have released footage in connection with their response to incidents in Metro Detroit.

In August, the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office released Shelby Township police body camera video of an armed Troy man's shooting by an officer during a traffic stop in June.

In July, Warren Police released dashboard camera footage that showed an armed suspect killed in an officer-involved shooting had taken his own life.

In March, Warren Police released body cam footage that showed officers repeatedly ordering a knife-wielding man to drop his weapon before he was shot.

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