Residents Gather To Question Why Suspect Was Killed During Apprehension By ICE Agent
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - Residents stood in a line inside of Grace Community Church of Detroit to either comment or pose a question to Detroit Police Chief James Craig over the shooting death of 20-year-old Terrance Kellom by an ICE (Immigration Customs Enforcement) agent.
Among the first questions posed was about how to bring in suspects alive.
"Sometimes there are mistakes and I'm not going to comment, it's still too early in this investigation and I don't know what the outcome will be," said Craig.
Mitchell Quinn, 39, was part of a task force that was sent to capture 20-year-old Terrance Kellom on Monday afternoon. Authorities said Kellom, a habitual offender, had fled while on probation and was wanted as a suspect in the armed robbery of a pizza delivery man reports WWJ's Stephanie Davis.
When agents arrived at a home on Detroit's west side, in the 9500 block of Evergreen near W. Chicago, Kellom was reportedly hiding inside. When finally confronted by agents, investigators say Kellom was armed with a hammer — though his family members have disputed that. Quinn, "faced with a threat," fired his weapon at Kellom several times "as [Quinn] was retreating," according to police.
An autopsy determined that Kellom died of multiple gunshot wounds. His death has been classified a homicide, according to the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office.
Quinn, a seven-year veteran of ICE who spent 12 years with Detroit police, is on administrative leave during the investigation into the shooting — which is agency policy.
A report by the Detroit News says Mitchell Quinn, the agent connected in the shooting, was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and felony firearm in February 2008 after pointing a department-issued handgun at his wife's head during an argument about emails. His now ex-wife, a fellow Detroit police officer, was uninjured in the incident.
The charges were dismissed, but Quinn left the Detroit Police Department and joined the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency a few months later, ultimately getting assigned to the Detroit Fugitive Apprehension Team.
"My main concern, and I know it's a concern of everyone in the room ... is that we get to the truth of what happened," said Rebecca Adducci, special agent in charge of ICE told the people gathered Wednesday night.
"The message is we are your partners, we are working with you, not against you and the only way we can do the job as effective is if we have a partnership. I've said time and again Detroit's very different than a lot of places - we have relationships with our community," said Police Chief Craig.
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