Detroit police officer in critical condition after man opens fire on squad cars

25-year-old Glenn Doss shot in his head; suspect in custody

DETROIT – A Detroit police officer is in critical condition after he was shot Wednesday night on the city's east side.

The 25-year-old officer was shot in his head when a gunman opened fire on Detroit police in the 5500 block of McDougall Street near East Kirby Street.

It all started about 10:40 p.m. when a man called police to say he assaulted his wife, and another woman called to say her father might have fired gunshots.

When the officers arrived, they saw a 43-year-old man standing outside a home with a weapon. Police said he took a stance and fired a shots at the police squad cars. The officer who was shot was still inside his squad car. He was shot two times. Another Detroit police squad car was hit by bullets, too, but no other officers were shot. 

The gunman was barricaded inside the home until officers threw tear gas into the home. He tried to escape but was captured.

Officer has 9-month-old son

The officer, identified as 25-year-old Glenn Doss, has been on the force for about two years. He has a 9-month-old son. His father also was a Detroit police officer. 

"It's somber, we've had too many losses in our department. We've had too many injured officers," said Asst. Detroit Police Chief Arnold Williams. "It's hard. It's a hard job and we're doing it for the community. Sometimes people lose that perspective."

Family say suspect has mental illness

Police said they do have some history with the 43-year-old suspect. He has an assault charge on his record.

His family said he has a history of mental illness. However, Detroit police said they have no medical documentation of mental illness. 

Stay with ClickOnDetroit for updates. 


About the Author:

Nick joined the Local 4 team in February of 2015. Prior to that he spent 6 years in Sacramento covering a long list of big stories including wildfires and earthquakes. Raised in Sterling Heights, he is no stranger to the deep history and pride Detroit has to offer.