New details reveal Melvindale cop was killed over cigarette toss; Family demands death penalty
LINCOLN PARK, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) – An act of littering turned into a deadly encounter and cost the life of Melvindale police officer, Cpl. Mohamed Said, according to body cam footage shown in court on Monday.
Details of the shooting came out in a Lincoln Park courtroom, where Judge Gregory Clifton ruled there was enough evidence for the alleged gunman, Michael Lopez, to go to trial.
"I wanted to see everything. He was my brother, and I wanted to see his last words," said Said's brother Ahmed Said.
There was once again heartbreak for Said's family watching the moment Lopez took his life on July 21.
The incident began when Said spotted Lopez and a woman near a car wash.
Footage from Said's body camera shows he ordered Lopez to pick up the cigarette that he'd tossed on the ground. Lopez tried to run away, but Said chased after him, eventually using a taser to stop him. During the struggle, Lopez pulled out a gun and fired.
"He admitted later on that he had fled from him. The officer tased him. He shot him. He intentionally meant to shoot him because he did not want to go back to jail," said Michigan State Police Detective Sgt. Brittany Ellsworth.
Lopez had spent more than a decade behind bars, only to be paroled a month before the shooting.
Said was doing the job he dreamed of growing up.
"This all started from flicking a cigarette. It's not something you do in our community because our officers are always there to make sure that you are following the law 100%, so he died a hero," said Melvindale Mayor Nicole Shkira.
"He's a clean guy. He doesn't like anybody litter. So even in the house, he keeps everything clean. So that's one of the things he always does. Keeps the city clean from littering and from drugs. That's what he was doing with Lopez," Ahmed Said said.
Wearing his brother's police cap, Ahmed Said implored Michigan lawmakers to adopt the death penalty to ensure justice for fallen officers.
"People are just going to kill officers and just go chill in jail, but we have the death penalty. They're going to be scared to kill any officer or, like, injure them or anything," Ahmed Said said.
Lopez is also facing charges of robbing an Auto Zone in Lincoln Park at gunpoint the day before the shooting. On Monday, he waived his preliminary hearing in that case.
His next court appearance for all the charges is slated for Sept. 3 in Wayne County Circuit Court.