DETROIT – A woman was shot by Detroit police on Sunday after a traffic stop led to a police chase.
After she was pulled over, she gave the officer her license and registration and asked for a supervisor.
The chief said the woman called 911 after requesting a supervisor multiple times, and that the officer also called in for back-up.
A supervisor was never called, and once backup arrived, the officers tried to get the woman out of the vehicle, but were unsuccessful and pepper-sprayed her.
The woman then drove off, and police pursued before they boxed her in a short distance away. An officer ordered the woman to get out of the vehicle, but when she started to drive out of the box, he fired multiple shots at her.
Another brief pursuit ensued before it ended near a Detroit police facility. The woman was taken to the hospital and then taken into custody, but was released once the chief reviewed the body camera footage.
The chief said the woman won’t face charges, and that officers violated several of the department’s policies.
Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison held a press conference on Oct. 27 to release more details about the police shooting. You can watch the full press conference in the video at the end of this article.
Here’s everything the chief said:
Woman pulled over
An officer was out on routine patrol in the area of Van Dyke and 8 Mile in the afternoon on Sunday, Oct. 26, and “observed what he deemed to be a traffic violation and conducted a traffic stop,” according to Bettison.
The woman, who was driving a black Dodge Durango, pulled over immediately.
After that, the officer approached the driver’s side, identified himself and gave the reasoning for the traffic stop.
Bettison said the initial traffic stop was for speeding, tinted windows and an obscured plate. He didn’t give any additional details about what the alleged issues with the plate were.
Driver requests supervisor
The officer also asked for her license, registration and proof of insurance, and Bettison said that the woman did provide them.
The woman “strongly disagreed” with the officer’s reasons for pulling her over and had requested a supervisor.
At some point, after requesting a supervisor multiple times, the woman called 911 while the officer was standing there.
The officer then requested backup at the scene for support.
Officers try to pull woman out of car, pepper-spray her
Once backup arrived, the officer opened the woman’s door and tried to get her out of the car.
They were unsuccessful in getting her out, and one of the officers who responded as backup pepper-sprayed the woman.
After that happened, she closed her car door and drove away from the scene.
Officers pursued the Durango on Van Dyke for about a minute until they boxed the car in near Concord and Outer Drive.
Officer fires 6 shots
That’s when an officer got out of his vehicle, which was parked in front of the Durango, and started to order the woman to get out of her car.
As the woman tried to drive the vehicle out of the box, the officer ordered her to get out of the car two more times before firing six shots at her.
The officer who shot at her then got back inside his car, and he, along with back-up units, followed the woman until the pursuit ended at the Detroit police facility near Sherwood and 7 Mile Road.
Woman taken to hospital, detained, then released
Officers rendered first aid, and medics took the woman to a local hospital.
After she was released from the hospital, the woman was transported to the Detroit Detention Center.
Bettison said after reviewing the body camera footage Monday morning, he ordered that the woman be released immediately. The body camera footage will be released at a later time, once the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office decides how to proceed, according to Bettison.
Policy violations
There were several department policies violated throughout the situation, according to Bettison. The chief said:
- Detroit police officers should not pursue vehicles for traffic violations. The department only pursues people who have committed violent crimes.
- Detroit police have a policy against boxing in a vehicle (one vehicle in front and one behind) in an attempt to stop it from moving.
- The department doesn’t shoot at moving vehicles “unless it is an extreme circumstance where life is at jeopardy.”
- A Detroit police officer must call a supervisor when one is requested.
Officer to be suspended without pay; woman won’t face charges, chief says
Bettison said he is preparing to submit a request to the Board of Police Commissioners to have the officer who shot at the woman suspended without pay immediately.
This officer has been with the department for a year and nine months and has not had any other citizen complaints filed against him.
The investigation, which is being led by Michigan State Police, is ongoing. A warrant request will be submitted to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office.
The driver will not be facing any charges in connection with this situation, but the officer could, according to Bettison.
Bettison said that the information that was initially released, in which police said the woman didn’t comply with the officers, was preliminary and was released before he had actually reviewed the body cam footage.