DETROIT – A police officer in Detroit has been placed on administrative leave after new evidence suggests she shot two bystanders while firing at an armed person following a block party shooting.
The shooting happened on June 1 at about 1 a.m. near the intersection of Florence and Trinity streets on Detroit’s west side. At the time, police said more than 100 people were at the scene and four were shot. Police allegedly recovered more than 93 shell casings and eight guns.
Police released new information regarding the shooting during a press conference Wednesday, Nov. 27.
You can watch the full press conference in the video player above.
“Neighbors called 911 to report the incident, one of them describing it as a ‘massive shootout,’“ said Interim Police Chief Todd Bettison. ”The scene was very chaotic. The scene was loud. People were screaming -- some were in pure distress."
Bettison said the officers were responding to what they believed was an active shooting.
Police confirmed that a responding police officer encountered two people -- one armed with a handgun and one armed with an AR-styled gun -- who reportedly ignored requests to put their weapons down.
Police said the officer feared for her life and fired five shots.
Bettison said new ballistic evidence confirmed the officer shot the person who was armed with a handgun and two women -- a 20-year-old and a 23-year-old.
One of the five shots hit the officer’s intended target.
“Whether they were shot unintentionally or intentionally, it’s not a good day when an officer has to use force like that, but when it’s unintentional, you’re there to serve and protect -- I can’t even imagine how the officer is feeling. It’s not a good thing,” Bettison said.
The two bystanders who were shot were taken to a hospital and have since been released. Police said the person with a handgun was taken into custody after being treated for their injuries. While they remain under investigation, the person has not been arrested.
Bettison said the aid police gave at the scene likely saved their lives.
The original shooting that police were responding to remains under investigation and no arrests have been made.
“It was a lot of folks out there firing weapons, so it’s a lot to unpack,” Bettison said.
Bettison said the responding officer has been placed on a “no gun status,” and that she has no history of force-related issues in her roughly eight years on the force.
Michigan State Police are investigating the police shooting.
