DETROIT (WXYZ) — Two Detroit police officers were shot on the city's east side on Monday afternoon, police confirmed to 7 News Detroit. The suspect is dead.
Detroit Police Chief James White confirmed later Monday afternoon that the suspect was a 45-year-old man who had been with the department for 13 years.
Hear the chief and the mayor talk about the incident in the video below:
According to White, dispatch received a call around 2:36 p.m. and officers arrived on scene quickly. The suspect was off-duty and was threatening to commit suicide, and was reportedly asking for what is known as suicide-by-cop.
"Tragically we are not immune to mental crises. Our officers deal with this every single day," White said.
White said that he was shooting in the air with a high-powered rifle, and the responding officers retreated to their vehicle.
That's when the suspect walked to the back of the vehicle and opened fire, shooting it multiple times. One officer was shot in the leg and another in the thigh. They returned fire, killing the suspect. Both officers are in stable condition.
White said the officer was part of the special response team, known as SRT, an elite unit that serves like the department's SWAT team.
Sources: Suspect in shooting of 2 Detroit cops was an active DPD officer
7 News Detroit is not naming the officer, but we have learned that he rose to the rank of sergeant. He had just returned to active duty status after being off medical leave.
White said that the officer had a serious generative condition but had returned to full duty on Oct. 3. He was also in uniform when he was shot.
White said that the suspect had the full support of his unit, and from what White understands, returning to the unit was a positive thing for him.
Sources say the sergeant told the 911 operator that the department did not care about what officers like him were going through, that he suffered back pain and felt like he was not supported.
When asked about that, White said that the officer said a lot of things when he was on scene, but some of it didn't line up as he was in a mental health crisis.
See video from Chopper 7 below
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts or a mental crisis, call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
