Warren police engage gunman in shootout
A 29-year-old Detroit man was taken into custody Monday after he pointed a gun at pursuing Warren officers who fired several shots at him in return during a traffic stop on Eight Mile Road in Detroit, according to the police department.
Neither the suspect nor officers were injured in the exchange of gunfire.
Warren Police Commissioner William Dwyer said incidents of violence against police, like the one that took place on Eight Mile, seem to be on the rise, both locally and around the country.
“We are very lucky we don’t have a dead officer on our hands,” Dwyer said. “It’s getting worse every day.”
According to Warren police, the shootout took place about 1:30 p.m. as officers were attempting make a felony stop on a 2020 Chevy Malibu headed west on Eight Mile near Mound Road.
Officers pursued the Chevy as it went through a turnaround onto eastbound Eight Mile and Fenelon Street in front of King Auto Sales. The Chevy crashed into a bystander’s vehicle, resulting in minor injuries to both occupants.
The male and female occupants of the Chevy got out of the car and started to flee.
A cellphone video taken by a female motorist behind the skirmish shows the gunman in a light-colored, plaid jacket running past the officer and by the screaming motorist. As he begins to turn the corner on Fenelon, a series of gunshots can be heard.
Officers spotted the handgun in the suspect’s right hand.
“As the armed male suspect was running, he then turned and pointed his handgun in the direction of officers who were in pursuit,” police said in a news release. “Upon being faced with this threat, an officer fired several shots at the suspect.”
Police said the Detroit man continued to run and was arrested about two blocks from the crash scene with the help of a K9 team.
Investigators recovered his gun, which had been tossed over a wall of a parking lot. The weapon is being processed to verify it was fired at the officers involved.
The female suspect was located and arrested shortly afterward in Detroit. It’s unknown what charges, if any, she will face.
Police diverted motorists heading east on Eight Mile for about three hours before opening one lane of traffic.
According to Warren police, the gunman has previous felony convictions and was currently awaiting trial in Wayne County for fleeing and eluding police, and carjacking.
Dwyer said the man is a convicted felon, was clearly armed, and was given a personal bond for a carjacking case which, he said is “an insult to the men and women in women in blue.”
“The men and women in blue need lawmakers and judges to work together to keep violent suspects behind bars while their case is pending,” Dwyer said in the release.
The officer or officers who fired their weapons will be placed on routine, paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation, the police commissioner said.
When the investigation is complete, authorities will present their findings to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office for review.