Metro Detroit Officers 'Keep Their Guard Up' After New York Cop Killings
DETROIT (WWJ) Metro Detroit police departments are stepping up precautions as New York mourns two police officers who were killed over the weekend, allegedly in response to situations where people were killed during incidents with police.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig is urging his officers to use greater caution -- be aware of their surroundings and back up others. Speaking live on WWJ this morning -- Craig said Detroit is a little different than other big cities.
Notably, an outcry erupted in Ferguson, Mo., when an officer killed an unarmed black teen. The cop was exonerated of charges, setting off protests around the country.
In New York, a 43-year-old unarmed black man died while in the process of arrest. The asthmatic kept saying, "I can't breathe," while under the pressure of a cop's chokehold. The white officer was not charged with a crime.
"It didn't take a Ferguson (Missouri), or a New York to make us say, 'Let's see, I think we need to do better,'" Craig said. "It's part of our culture, it's part of what we do as a business practice and we will continue to do that."
In Macomb County -- Sheriff Anthony Wickersham says whenever there is an officer shot they go back and stress to deputies the importance of the basics and making sure they keep their guard up.
Craig says cops have to be aware of escalating situations at all time.
"A simple traffic stop could become tragic," he said. "So while this incident certainly reminds us of how risky the work is, we should never forget and we should always be diligent in how we approach our work each and every day."
Craig says complacency can be an issue - with some officers going months or years without a negative encounter.
"As I've said, I don't know of any police officers who wake up in the morning and look to get involved in deadly force incident," he said.
