The shooting Sunday afternoon at Detroit's 6th precinct was described by the police chief as a scene of "utter chaos and pandemonium" and leaves officers to ponder how to protect themselves from the crime they fight daily on the city's tough streets. The precinct commander, two sergeants and an officer suffered wounds that were not considered life-threatening.
Unlike a number of suburban police departments, Detroit precincts don't have metal detectors and the front desks are not fitted with Plexiglas-type shields. They do have security cameras.
Detroit Police Shooting
The shooting happened around 4:20 p.m. Sunday after the 38-year-old man walked through the front door of the one-story building and began firing, according to police.
"As you can imagine, utter chaos and pandemonium took place. But through it all, our officers maintained courageous calm," Chief Ralph Godbee said. "They returned fire. They took cover. They did all the things that we train them to do under pressure."
One officer who was hit was a female sergeant whose bullet-resistant vest deflected the shot to her chest, Godbee said. Another officer suffered a grazing wound to the head, as did a male sergeant. The precinct commander was shot in the back, but was able to return fire.
Godbee would not give details on who shot the suspect or how many times he was struck. He said police had identified the gunman, but he would not release the name while the investigation was ongoing.
Detroit Police Shooting
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