Two in custody after state trooper shot during undercover operation in Detroit

Updated

Two people have been taken into custody after a trooper was shot overnight during an undercover narcotics operation in Detroit and hospitalized in critical condition, Michigan State Police said.

The unit was conducting surveillance on the city's west side at 1:30 a.m. when “they took fire by an unknown suspect” and the male trooper was struck, Michigan State Police’s Second District said.

He was transported to a hospital where he was evaluated and in critical condition at 4:25 a.m.

Lt. Mike Shaw with Michigan State Police said in a briefing early Tuesday that the trooper, a 10-year veteran, was shot "multiple times," and his family is with him in the hospital. In an update around 10 a.m., officials said the trooper was upgraded to stable condition but “still has a long way to go.”

Following the shooting, police locked down an apartment complex near 14000 Riverview Street with the suspect at large, warning of a possible barricaded suspect situation. Officials told residents to avoid the area and stay in their homes.

Michigan Police released this photo following the shooting of a trooper in Detroit on Tuesday.  (Michigan State Police)
Michigan Police released this photo following the shooting of a trooper in Detroit on Tuesday. (Michigan State Police)

The state police’s Emergency Support Team, which handles highly dangerous and critical incidents facing law enforcement such as barricaded situations, honed in on the apartment where the shots were believed to be fired out of a window.

Authorities attempted to make contact with any suspects in the building, moved people out of the complex and sought a search warrant for the apartment at about 6:30 a.m., state police said.

In an update around 8:30 a.m., state police announced two people had been taken into custody. Their names were not released.

Shaw said three shell casings were found in the search of the complex.

He said that the suspect was identified through video surveillance and troopers followed the suspect’s vehicle and conducted a traffic stop.

Two people inside the vehicle were taken into custody without incident.

“We’re in the process of determining who’s actually involved and who’s not actually involved,” Shaw said.

He said that the shooter was also involved in the narcotics investigation and the undercover team was doing surveillance on that individual when the shooting occurred.

When asked if he thinks the shooter is one of the people in custody, Shaw said: “We’re feeling pretty good about it.”

“Now comes the hard part, the investigative stuff, putting them behind the scene and where they were before and things like that. We feel pretty confident that the neighborhood’s safer today.”

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