Suspect linked to car thefts shot after injuring police officer during chase in Ecorse

A suspect accused of being involved in dozens of vehicle break-ins across Metro Detroit was shot by a police officer Wednesday morning after investigators say he struck a task force officer with his vehicle during an attempted arrest in Ecorse.

The suspect suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound and was taken to a local hospital after leading officers on a pursuit that ended in a Detroit alley near Woodmere Street.

An officer who was struck by the suspect's vehicle was also hospitalized and is being treated for injuries.

The incident began around 5:45 a.m. in the 100 block of Southfield Road in Ecorse, where members of the Southeast Michigan Auto Crimes Consortium attempted to take the occupants of a vehicle into custody for their alleged involvement in breaking into several dozen vehicles across Metro Detroit.

According to investigators, the driver accelerated as officers moved in, striking one of the officers.

CBS News Detroit has confirmed that the officer who was struck was from the Detroit Police Department.

A Dearborn police officer assigned to the task force then fired his weapon, striking the driver.

Despite being wounded, police said the suspect fled, prompting a pursuit that ended in Detroit, where the suspect was taken into custody.

Nearby resident Tammy Steiner said she realized something serious was happening after hearing a gunshot outside her home.

"I knew something was going down," Steiner said. "Dearborn, River Rouge, Ecorse — I knew something was going down there with all the cops."

Steiner said she was relieved to learn investigators were targeting suspects connected to vehicle thefts and break-ins, saying crime has become a growing concern in the neighborhood.

"I'm glad they caught whoever they caught because my car was broken into two weeks ago," she said. "Because we shouldn't have to live like this."

The Southeast Michigan Auto Crimes Consortium, managed by the Dearborn Police Department, is a regional task force made up of federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies that investigate organized auto theft and related crimes throughout Southeast Michigan.

The Michigan State Police have taken over the investigation into the officer-involved shooting, which is standard procedure. Authorities have not released the identities of the suspect or the officers involved, and no charges have yet been announced.

The investigation remains active.