Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality Demands Officer Suspension In Deadly Shooting

DETROIT (WWJ) - The Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality is demanding answers after a man was shot dead by officers on the city's west side.

The shooting happened  Monday afternoon when officers tried to stop a speeding vehicle, and the driver crashed into a light pole near Elmhurst and Broadstreet Avenue. The driver jumped out, police said, ran from the scene, and was found a few blocks away in the backyard of an abandoned home near Webb Street and Otsego.

Officers chased the man on foot to an area behind the home. A struggle ensued after the officer told the suspect to get on the ground, according to police, but the suspect lunged at the officer and tried to grab a gun. One shot was fired, striking the suspect in the lower torso; he was declared dead at the scene.

"Our sympathy goes to the family of the victim," coalition spokesperson Kenneth Reed said in a statement. "We value the preservation of life and maintain the position that de-escalation methods must come before the use of force."

To guarantee "a non-biased investigation" of the shooting, the group is calling on Detroit Police Department to take the following steps:

• Suspension of the officer.
• The name and race of the officer involved should be revealed publicly.
• The disciplinary record of the officer should be made available to the public.
• The officer should be required to perform a drug exam.
• Release dashboard camera footage of the events leading to the fatal shooting to the public.

"These steps are necessary to ensure transparency and trust between the community and police department," said Reed. "From our standpoint failure to operate in this manner jeopardizes that trust."

The man's name has not yet been released.

An investigation is ongoing.