Michael Lopez in court on April 21, 2026, during his trial connected to the death of Melvindale police Officer Mohamed Said. (WDIV)
WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. – Jury deliberations have begun in the trial for the man accused of shooting and killing a Melvindale police officer.
Michael Lopez, from Southfield, is accused of shooting and killing Melvindale Police Officer Mohamed Said on July 21, 2024.
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The prosecution and the defense delivered closing arguments on Tuesday, April 28. The trial lasted for about a week, with numerous witness testimonies, including Lopez’s.
Throughout the trial, Lopez made outbursts in court and was removed from the courtroom at one point. During his testimony after the prosecution rested, he was kicked off the stand on Monday after giving irrelevant information that the judge had ordered him not to mention.
Lopez claimed self-defense in the shooting death of Said, saying he had to in order “to survive, to not get killed."
Prosecutors said Lopez admitted to everything, including an armed robbery that happened the night before and being on different types of drugs. Prosecutors argue Lopez ran away from Said because he was afraid to get caught for possessing the firearm used in the robbery, and killed Said when he was resisting arrest.
Samantha Sayles is an Oakland University alumna who’s been writing Michigan news since 2022. Before joining the ClickOnDetroit team, she wrote stories for WILX in Lansing and WEYI in Flint.