DETROIT – Two Detroit police officers injured in a shootout on Monday with a fellow officer are back home after they were released from the hospital Tuesday night.
Background
The shooting happened on Monday, Oct. 14, just before 2:30 p.m. in the area of E Davison and St. Aubin near the Highland Park water tower.
Police said the officers were responding to a 911 call from the off-duty officer when he started shooting, injuring two officers.
Detroit Police Chief James White said the fellow officer was shooting in the air. The officers checked the area, but when they heard the gunshots, they retreated and took cover because they recognized that he had a high-powered rifle.
White said the officer approached the vehicle that they were taking cover behind and shot the vehicle in the rear of the vehicle multiple times, striking the two officers. The officers shot back and killed him.
One of the officers was hit in the leg, and the other was hit in the thigh area, causing one of the fellow officers to return fire, fatally wounding the officer in question.
The officers were taken to Detroit Receiving Hospital after the exchange of gunfire, where they have been listed in stable condition.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan was on the scene, and he called getting a call about an officer being shot, the worst he’s ever gotten.
Duggan said they are fortunate that the two officers injured who were responding to the scene received non-life-threatening injuries. Still, the situation was a reminder of the courage that the officer in the Detroit Police Department showed daily.
“They went to that scene knowing that they were going to be confronted by a highly trained and armed officer in the department that was having a significant mental issue,” said Duggan. “The courage they showed in the way that they responded in the fact that one of our officers was shot, returned fire, and ultimately shot the perpetrator. It’s a tragedy for the city, but it’s just a reminder that every Detroiter should be grateful for the commitment of the service the men and women of this department.”
Who was the officer killed?
Detroit police Chief James White said two officers heard gunshots, and then they identified the shooter as a member of their Special Response Team (SRT).
“Upon arrival, they hear gunshots,” said White. The suspect has been identified as a member of our department. He is a member of our special response team. He is off duty. He is threatening suicide. He is asking for suicide by cop. He is struggling with a mental crisis. Tragically, we are not immune to mental crisis. We’re just like everyone else as officers deal with this every single day.”
Officers said the shooter was in full uniform. He was 45 years old and had 13 years in the Detroit Police Department.
“It’s extremely tragic, and we’re not immune to the mental health crisis in this city and, in our country, and in our state,” said White. “It affects everybody, and as the mayor said, the officers who responded were heroes. Once they recognized that it was one of our members, they still had to do their job and make sure that everyone was safe. We’re going to have grief counseling for our officers, and we’re going to work with the family to make sure they get what they need. It’s just a horrible day.”
White said the SRT officer had a cognitive condition because he was off work for a while and then restricted. But as recently as Oct. 3, the officer went back to work full duty.
“We were hoping that things were moving in the right direction and he had the full support and got the support that he needed in the unit that he was assigned to,” White said. “He said a lot of things, and some didn’t line up as he was in a mental crisis, so you would expect that, but we’re going to look at all of that as we get into the investigation, which is going to be handled by the Michigan State Police in totality, but we’re going to look at some of the things that he said, but a lot of it really didn’t line up.”
Officers and mental health
The deadly shooting of a Detroit police sergeant in a mental health crisis is putting a spotlight on the mental health of officers. According to the Detroit Crime Commission, the stigma surrounding officers and mental health has improved from the past, but more work needs to be done.
“They’re just exposed to the worst of the worst every single day,” said Andy Arena with the Detroit Crime Commission. “What they see, what they experience, what they take home with them, it’s really difficult to deal with. It’s heartbreaking.”
The shooting is a harsh reminder that officers experience a level of trauma higher than many others.
“I’m sure it’s anguish for men and women in that department, particularly the officers that engaged that day. They’ll live with that for the rest of their lives. But, I think it really reinforces the stress that officers are under every single day.”
Dr. Gerald Shiener is the chief of Psychiatry at DMC Sina-Grace Hospital, where he regularly works with the Detroit Police Department. As he explains, everyone involved will likely be affected.
“It’s always a trauma when a police officer has to use a firearm,” said Shiener. “It’s especially difficult when it’s one of their own.”
The 45-year-old officer killed in this situation had been with the department for 13 years but was also battling a physical, degenerative condition.
The Detroit Police Department does, however, have a system in place to help officers when cases become too much.
“They have a mental health unit,” Sheiner said. “They use referral psychiatrists in the community to evaluate police officers to determine if they’re fit for work or if they need help. So that help is available.”
But it’s up to the officer at the end of the day to ask for help.
“Police officers are expected to be strong, firm, always in charge, always there to help, and always dependable,” Sheiner said. “And it makes it very difficult to ask for help if they need it.”
White has been vocal about getting officers mental health resources when needed, and that will likely continue.
