2 Dearborn officers released from hospital after being shot; suspect in critical condition

Two Dearborn police officers have been released from a local hospital after being shot by a suspect early Friday morning in Wayne County, authorities said. 

According to Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin, at approximately 2:15 a.m. on Friday, Dearborn police officers responded to a report of an armed subject arguing with people at the Pantheion nightclub in the area of Oakman Boulevard on Michigan Avenue.

Upon arrival, police officers made contact with the subject, who refused to cooperate with their directions and ultimately fled the area in a flatbed tow truck, Shahin said.

Shahin says the officers initially pursued the vehicle but then terminated the pursuit. According to Shahin, that was done intentionally to prevent a high-speed pursuit in the city, which would put people at risk.

Special operations officers were following the subject without his knowledge until reaching a Citgo gas station at the intersection of Van Born Road and Inkster Road, where the suspect exited the flatbed tow truck, officials say. The officers took that opportunity to 
try to take him into custody safely, Shahin said.

That intersection is near the four-corners border of Romulus, Westland, Dearborn Heights and Taylor. 
 
"But I want to be clear. These officers have badges that are displayed. They're emblazoned with "Police" on their shirts, and they even have red and blue lights that they activate to make it very clear that they're police officers," said Shahin.

Officers were immediately met by gunfire, police say, and two officers were struck. Several officers returned gunfire at the suspect, according to police.

Following the shooting, the suspect returned to the tow truck and was able to flee the area once again, according to Shahin. Some officers rendered aid to the shot officers, while others followed the suspect once again in marked scout cars, says Shahin.

During that pursuit, the suspect threw handguns out the window, police say. The pursuit continued for several blocks from that intersection, according to Shahin. The suspect stopped there, and police pulled him over and took him into custody. This is where the officers realized that the suspect had been shot as well, Shahin says.

The suspect is a 32-year-old Detroit resident, police say, and has a violent criminal history and was released on parole in 2021, according to Shahin.

During the investigation, police also recovered firearms that were allegedly thrown from the tow truck during the pursuit.  

Dearborn police said the suspect was also shot and was taken to a local hospital for treatment of gunshot wounds and was reported in critical condition.   

Both officers were transported to a local hospital and treated for gunshot wounds, police say. One officer has wounds on his stomach and in his arm, according to the medical director at the Dearborn police department, who took a look at the injuries, and says it's a miracle that it's not more serious. The other officer was shot in the shoulder.

A picture of an officer's vest with two gunshot marks was shown in the press conference.

"This could've easily been a fatal encounter for my officers," Shahin said.

According to Shahin, both officers were male special operations officers who had been on the job for around 10 years.

Mayor Abdullah Hammoud expressed gratitude to the officers and relief at their return home.

"Dearborn has been the target of so much over the last several weeks and last several months, and will continue to be the target for months and years ahead," Hammoud said.

Shahin added that he doesn't know how many gunshots were fired and cannot say the number of officers on the scene.

"We'll provide additional details as they become available, as long as they don't compromise the integrity of the investigation," Shahin said.