An off-duty Detroit police officer with 13 years of service was shot and killed by a colleague after firing at two suicidal officers.
The suicidal police officer, 45, was wearing a uniform and carrying a “high-powered rifle” when two officers responded to a 911 call at his home.
Detroit Police Chief James White said at a news conference Monday night that when responding officers arrived, the man began firing shots into the air, then pointed the gun at a colleague and “asked the officer to commit suicide.” Ta.
White said the officers took cover behind the vehicle as the mentally ill officer fired multiple shots into the back of the vehicle.
The off-duty officer shot one of his colleagues in the thigh and the other in the leg. One of the men returned fire, fatally wounding a 45-year-old man, the police chief said.
“Upon arrival, we hear gunshots. It turns out the suspect is a member of our department. He is a member of our special response team,” White said.
“He's off duty. He's threatening suicide. He's asking the officer to commit suicide.”
Both responding officers were in stable condition after the shooting, White said.
A police officer who attempted suicide was working through a severe physical “degenerative condition” that forced him to take time off. He just returned to “full duty” with the Detroit Police Department on Oct. 3, White said.
The officer, whose name has not been released, had no prior mental health issues, the chief added.
He was part of the department's special response team tasked with handling some of Detroit's most sensitive cases.
“They go after the most violent perpetrators. They go to people who have barricaded themselves with guns. They are barricaded in homes and buildings, like active shooters like him. We go to people,” White said.
“They are highly trained in their work and receive the best training we have to offer.”
Michigan State Police will continue to investigate.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan called the incident “a tragedy for the city.”
“The worst call I've ever received is that a police officer has been shot. We're lucky today that the two officers who responded here said their injuries were not life-threatening.” said Duggan.
“This is a reminder of the courage that our officers in this department show every day. I went to the scene knowing that it would happen.”
Detroit police have been plagued by a mental health crisis for years, responding to a record 7,554 calls in the first seven months of 2023, including about four calls per day involving armed citizens. It is said to be related to. Detroit News reported.
The city's police department announced it will restructure its crisis intervention team in 2022, including adding an officer who will only handle mental health-related calls.
Law enforcement personnel are 54% more likely to die by suicide than employees in other fields. According to a 2021 survey Published by the National Library of Medicine.
“We are not immune to the mental health crisis in this city, our country, and our state. It affects everyone,” White said.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988 or visit the following link: SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
