Neighbor describes Garden City shooting that left off-duty Detroit police officer dead

Elaine Williams killed by boyfriend June 3

GARDEN CITY, Mich. – A neighbor was called to the stand Wednesday during the preliminary examination for a man charged with killing his girlfriend in Garden City.

Elaine Williams, a Detroit police officer, was shot dead at her home in the 200 block of Belton Street on June 3. Her boyfriend, Eddie Ray-Jr. Johnson, is facing murder charges.

The couple's neighbor, Douglas Fields, described what he knew about the shooting.

Fields testified that Williams, 34, and Johnson, 35, were at a bar drinking with him and another couple. He said they were drunk when they got home about 11 p.m.

"I remember getting my son, hearing the gunshots, one or two at first, then a pause and a couple more, and I was going back across the street myself after I took my son back to my house," Fields said.

Prosecutors said Johnson shot Williams four times in the head and once in the shoulder before shooting himself as a cover-up.

"Eddie came out of the house and said he had been shot and was bleeding, holding his stomach. Looking at him, I didn't know what happened," Fields said.

Fields said he went into the house after the shooting to get Williams' son. Prosecutors claim he had to walk over her body to pull her son out of the home.

In court, Fields said he didn't remember what he told officers the night of the shooting and wouldn't reinforce his written account of events from the night.

Fields called Johnson his best friend and didn't seem anxious to answer questions.


About the Authors:

Rod Meloni is an Emmy Award-winning Business Editor on Local 4 News and a Certified Financial Plannerâ„¢ Professional.