River Rouge Cop Shoots Driver During Traffic Stop
RIVER ROUGE (WWJ) - Michigan State Police are investigating after an officer was involved in a shooting during a traffic stop in River Rouge.
The incident happened early Tuesday morning on Jefferson Avenue and Cora Street, not far from the River Rouge Police Department on Coolidge.
Police Chief Jeffrey Harris said the officer had stopped a black Jeep for erratic driving when the driver exited his vehicle.
"The suspect got out of the vehicle with a gun and the officer subsequently shot the suspect several times," Harris told WWJ's Mike Campbell.
Hussein Bazzi, an overnight clerk at a gas station along Jefferson, said he was taking a smoke break outside when he saw the police activity. He said he heard some yelling before shots were fired.
"Out of nowhere, he started yelling at him, saying 'Stay in the truck and put your hands outside' but he wasn't responding," Bazzi said. "After that, I guess the officer saw that he had a gun. The guy opened the door and turned around, trying to shoot the officer, but the officer was quicker and he shot him."
Harris said the suspect is a 49-year-old male from West Bloomfield, but they're not yet sure what the man was doing so far away from home. He was rushed to the hospital for treatment and was last reported in serious condition. The officer was uninjured.
Harris said a gun was recovered at the scene.
State police are now investigating the shooting, but Harris doesn't expect any charges to be filed.
"Preliminarily, no, it does not look like there's going to be any issues at all. The officer, from what I've seen so far, has acted according to our policies and procedures," he said.
