DETROIT – A stretch of eastbound Interstate 94 near Moross Road was closed for hours Tuesday morning as law enforcement investigated a shooting where a Wayne County sheriff’s deputy was a target.
According to Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Washington, a deputy assigned to the department’s Violent Crime Reduction Initiative was conducting a targeted rolling surveillance operation when someone opened fire at an unmarked vehicle.
The deputy was not hit or injured, but the vehicle was damaged, Washington said.
“One of our officers was shot at and could’ve died, Washington said. “We don’t take that lightly at all.”
The deputy who was shot at called for help, and a search resulted in the scene shifting into a nearby Harper Woods neighborhood, where there was a heavy police presence late into the morning.
In the neighborhood, officers detained at least one person.
Washington said one suspect was taken into custody.
Two others are being looked for. Investigators were seeking a search warrant for a location in the case.
“It’s scary to imagine this can happen in your own backyard,” said Leo Tufek, who lives in Harper Woods and watched as authorities detained someone earlier in the day.
He said he was still shocked by the activity near his home.
No suspect descriptions were immediately released.
“They need to understand we’ll find them,” Washington said. “We are looking for them.”
The sheriff added that investigators do not believe the outstanding suspects are a danger to the community at this time. He also said the deputy whose vehicle was hit did not return any shots.
The undersheriff reported that the deputy was “doing fine” following the incident.
The investigation is ongoing.