2 officers, suspect injured in gunfire exchange
A shooting in Romulus last week left two Dearborn police officers wounded and a suspect hospitalized in critical condition.The shootings occurred at about 2:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 21 near Inkster and Van Born roads in Romulus as Dearborn officers attempted to arrest a Detroit man. Twelve police agencies including Romulus and Michigan State Police responded to the scene of the shootings. The Dearborn officers’ injuries were non-life -threatening, according to police while the suspect was arrested at the scene and immediately hospitalized. Police said the suspect remained in critical condition at press time.
No Romulus officers were injured in the gunfire.
The incident began when Dearborn officers were dispatched to the Pantheion Club on Michigan Avenue at about 2:15 a.m. following a report of a man brandishing a gun during an argument on the premises.
When uniformed officers responded to the scene the suspect refused to cooperate and fled the parking lot in a white flatbed tow truck, according to reports from Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin. The officers pursued the vehicle but intentionally terminated the pursuit to prevent a high-speed chase which could have endangered area residents, Shahin said.
Two undercover officers from the Dearborn Special Investigations Team assumed the pursuit of the man and followed him to the Romulus Citgo gas station undetected. The gas station is near the four-corners border of Romulus, Westland, Dearborn Heights and Taylor.
According to police reports, the officers identified themselves at the scene in an effort to make an arrest. The suspect fired a handgun at the two officers and attempted to flee, according to police reports. Patrol officers from multiple surrounding communities allegedly responded to the scene of the gunfire. One Dearborn officer sustained gunshots to his stomach and arm, and the other was shot in his shoulder, according to police. The suspect sustained critical injuries, police said.
Both officers were treated for their injuries and have been released from the hospital, Shahin said, and are currently on paid leave from the department. Each is a 10-year veteran of the force, the chief noted.
The wounded suspect was identified as a 32-year-old Detroit resident who had a “violent criminal history” according to police. The man was released on parole in 2021. His name has not been released pending arraignment.
“This could have easily been a fatal encounter for my officers,” Shahin said, adding that a bulletproof vest may have saved at least one of the injured officer’s life. “I’m extremely grateful that our officers have been released from the hospital and are recovering at home.”
The incident remains under investigation by Michigan State Police.
