DETROIT – A Detroit police officer was forced to shoot a man after he pulled a gun on police.
The incident happened Thursday evening on Mitchell Street. Children were outside in the northeast Detroit neighborhood playing when the violence broke out.
"(There's) too many kids out here on the block that could have been shot. Anyone could have been shot," said resident Maria Brickford.
One child was inside the home where a Detroit police officer shot a 31-year-old man who is presumably one of her relatives.
"I heard him doing a lot of hollering, a lot of screaming," said resident Anita Ross.
Police told Local 4 the man they shot was actually involved in a car accident. He pulled a gun on the other driver.
Detroit police spotted that man outside a relative's home on Mitchell Road -- a block off of Joseph Campau Street.
"Suspect tried to gain entry into his house, looked like he was going for a weapon," said Assistant Chief Steve Dolunt.
"Once he got in the bedroom, returned one fire," said Capt. Harold Rochon.
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The man -- a convicted felon -- was shot in the hip. The incident brought out Detroit police Chief James Craig. He spoke with the gunman's family. He's meeting with his officer, who made a split-second decision to fire.
"Police officers have a split-second to make a decision," said Craig.
Michigan State Police also arrived at the scene Thursday evening.