Newly released Michigan State Police body camera and dashboard camera images reveal the moments leading to the fatal shooting of Stephen Mason during a traffic stop on May 16.
The Michigan Department of Attorney General determined a state Trooper acted in self-defense when he shot Mason following a struggle over a gun.
The Trooper will not face charges.
It’s the policy of the Michigan State Police to send all officer-involved shootings to the Department of Attorney General for review.
According to the department’s review, the confrontation began when MSP Trooper Justin Cope initiated a traffic stop for speeding.
The situation escalated when Mason dropped a concealed revolver while exiting his truck at the trooper’s request.
A struggle for the weapon followed, during which Mason reportedly shot the officer three times, including two point-blank shots to the chest.
The Mason family’s attorney, Leonard Mungo, has been advocating for an independent investigation, requesting that a special prosecutor be assigned to the case.
“We feel that this is one of those cases,” Mungo said. “We don’t believe it was appropriate or even wise for the state attorney general to make a charging decision in this case because she is a part of the state.”
While the family was allowed to view the body camera footage by MSP, they are requesting additional documentation through the Freedom of Information Act, including officer reports and camera footage of the scene from the freeway.
Mungo also claims officers didn’t render aid to Mason immediately after the shooting.
“After police take action where they have to use excessive force and a suspect or victim is injured, they are obligated to render aid to that person,” Mungo said. “It was at least 20, 30, 40 minutes maybe on the ground like a dead dog, like a dead animal on the side of the road.”
While the department’s review found that Trooper Cope didn’t begin lifesaving care on Mason, it found he did immediately call for EMS.
The review also found that it was clear that Mason was immediately deceased and that no medical treatment on scene could have revived him.
The review notes that Trooper Cope appeared to have been in shock following the shooting.
It states that EMS arrived on scene six minutes after Mason was shot.
No matter the outcome, Mungo says the family plans to continue investigating until they have the answers they need.
“The family has to be convinced that they have been served with the appropriate transparency and with the information that they need to determine that their loved one was or was not, as one of the family members said, right or wrong, we just need to know,” Mungo said.
Michigan State Police did not provide additional comment beyond the Attorney General’s findings.