Father Of Detroit Police Officer Shot In Head Says Son Still Alive, Despite Reports
DETROIT (WWJ) - Calling his son "a fighter" the father of a Detroit police officer critically wounded in the course of duty says his son is not dead, despite some erroneous media reports.
Glen Doss, of the DPD's 7th Precinct Special Operations Unit, was shot while responding to a domestic violence call on Wednesday.
Speaking at a news conference outside Detroit Receiving Hospital on Friday, said Glen Doss Sr., said his son remains in critical condition.
"The information that was given out a short period ago that my son had passed away, that information is not true," Doss Sr. told WWJ's Jon Hewett and other reporters. "My son is still alive."
"At this point in time he's still critical," the father added. "The doctors have been honest with me and my family. They state at this time his condition is 50-50; it could go either way. The bullet is still lodged in the back of his head, on the right side."
Initially, police had reported the 25-year-old officer was shot in the chest. He underwent emergency surgery, and was in a coma, according to officials, as of Wednesday afternoon.
"He's dealing with some real serious problems, but he's a strong young man," said Doss Sr., himself a 19-year veteran of the DPD. "I just wanna say that he's a fighter, and I believe God could work a miracle because that's what he needs right now."
The shooting happened as officers responded to a home on the city's east side, near Chene and I-94, following a report a man arguing with his wife had fired shots. Officers encountered the man outside the home and he fired at them. Doss was a passenger in a police car and was shot before he got out.
The suspect fired 32 shots, according to police, before going back into the house where he remained for more than three hours. Police eventually fired tear gas into the house early Thursday and arrested the 43-year-old when he came out.
Family members said the gunman had a "mental breakdown, according to reports. The suspect's name has not been released, with charges pending.
A GoFundMe account has been set up on behalf of Officer Doss, who is the father of a 9-month-old baby. Find information [HERE]. He had been on the force for only about two years at the time of the shooting.
© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
