Shelby Township police officer put on administrative leave after shooting, killing man

Investigation turned over to the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office

SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A Shelby Township police officer is on leave after a deadly shooting at an apartment complex.

"You'd be watching TV and one minute, you hear gunshots next to your window," said Ryan Drouillard, a neighbor.

UPDATE: Sheriff's Office identifies man shot, killed by Shelby Township police officer

UPDATE March 9, 2021: Michigan AG’s office clears Shelby Township officer in 2018 fatal shooting of 25-year-old man

Drouillard was up late Saturday night when he heard a lot of commotion in the parking lot.

"I was in my room, and then I heard, like, a weird noise that made one of those, where your body just shakes, like, you know something is going on," Drouillard said.

Drouillard went to investigate and will never forget what he heard.

"Went outside and I heard one of the policemen say, 'Put your hands on the vehicle,' and they didn't do it," Drouillard said. "Then gunshots were fired, and (police) were here all night."

At about 1 a.m. Saturday, Shelby Township police responded to reports of an occupied stolen vehicle in the parking lot of the Spring Lane apartment complex.

During the investigation, the man in the stolen vehicle refused to comply with the repeated verbal commands of police and told officers he was armed.

Shelby Township police say as a result of the man's noncompliance, an officer fired his weapon to stop the man's "aggressive action."

The man suffered a single gunshot wound and was treated on the scene by officers and members of the Shelby Township Fire Department.

He was later transported to Troy Beaumont Hospital by emergency medical services and pronounced dead.

"It was, like, one of those things you see in the movies, and you don't think it's going to happen. It was one of those scary things," Drouillard said.

The investigation has been turned over to the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office, and the officer involved has been placed on administrative leave.


About the Authors

Priya joined WDIV-Local 4 in 2013 as a reporter and fill-in anchor. Education: B.A. in Communications/Post Grad in Advanced Journalism

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