WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. – The man accused of killing a Melvindale police officer in 2024 was removed from the witness stand on Monday after mentioning information unrelated to the case.
Michael Lopez, 44, of Southfield, is on trial for allegedly shooting and killing Melvindale Police Officer Mohamed Said on July 21, 2024.
Previously, he was removed from court on Friday after an outburst in court, making allegations against Said, which prosecutors said were false. He was also heard shouting from his holding cell as the trial continued without him on April 24.
--> Man accused of killing Melvindale police officer removed from courtroom after another outburst
He also made an outburst that caused the trial to pause briefly before Friday’s incident, telling the jury his attorney was no longer working for him. However, the same attorney returned to trial.
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After prosecutors rested on Monday, April 27, the defense called its first witness to the stand: Lopez.
Before he gave testimony, the judge ordered him not to mention information unrelated to the case before the jury. At first, Lopez was hesitant and refused to agree to the orders. The information the judge told him not to mention was related to Friday’s outburst. Lopez eventually agreed before taking the stand.
In his testimony, he mentioned he took various drugs -- including cocaine, fentanyl and meth -- the day before Said was shot and killed.
He said he always felt uncomfortable around police and noticed that a cop car was following him while he was hanging out near a car wash with his friend on July 21, 2024.
Lopez said the encounter with Said began when he flicked a cigarette on the ground, and the officer told him to pick it up. After Lopez claimed Said was aggressively questioning him, he said he ran off.
Lopez claimed at one point that he was shot in the back, leading him to believe his life was in danger.
He said that after he fell to the ground, Said was on top of him with a gun to his face. Lopez then shot and killed Said.
Lopez became emotional when he started detailing when he shot and killed Said. He said he shot the officer “to survive, to not get killed,” claiming he had to in self-defense.
He then continued to run off and went into hiding before he was found by police a day later.
During cross-examination, prosecutors mentioned that Lopez was involved in three separate occasions where he ran from police. Lopez did not deny those claims.
Prosecutors also questioned Lopez about the gun he used to shoot and kill Said, saying it was used in an armed robbery the day before Said was killed. This led to prosecutors asking Lopez if the reason he was afraid of police was that he knew he was going to be investigated for the gun.
Lopez then mentioned information that the judge had told him was not allowed to be said in court in front of the jury. The prosecution said the allegations against Said were unfounded and false.
Due to not following the judge’s orders to not mention irrelevant information, Lopez was kicked off the stand. He also tried to talk directly to the jury again.
The trial is expected to resume on April 28 at 9 a.m.