DETROIT – Detroit police Chief James Craig said two officers who were shot Sunday night in the 20000 block of Lesure Street are expected to recover.
However, one of the officers remains in critical condition. He was shot in the face and is undergoing surgery, Craig said. He was struck with two shotgun pellets in his face. The chief said surgery will remove one of the pellets but it's unclear whether the second will be removed.
"We are optimistic," he said.
The other officer has been released from the hospital. He was struck in the arm by shrapnel.
Officers were responding to burglary call
Craig said the officers were responding to a 911 call about a burglary at about 11:45 p.m. Sunday. The chief said officers first checked an abandoned structure across the street from the home.
There was a series of three or four calls about a burglary, the chief said, but in the last call the caller said there were flashlights outside the home. Someone inside the home fired through a window at the officers, apparently believing they were burglars who were there to rob the home. It's not clear if the officers announced themselves as police before the shots were fired.
"Appears that this is an unfortunate situation," Craig said. "Young man who fired the shot is in custody"
Police said there were three people in the home at the time -- a mother, her 19-year-old son and a 14-year-old. The 19-year-old is accused of firing the shotgun.
Craig said the gun was given to the family by another family member after a burglary earlier this year.
The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office will have to determine if any charges will be issued.
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