Detroit cop faces suspension, possible charges after shooting woman during traffic stop
A Detroit police officer faces suspended without pay and could face criminal charges after an internal review found multiple policy violations in a weekend officer-involved shooting on the city’s east side.
Chief Todd Bettison held a press conference Monday to provide an update on the incident, which occurred Sunday afternoon near Van Dyke and Eight Mile in the 11th Precinct.
Bettison said he personally reviewed the body-worn camera footage and determined several actions violated department policy.
“This incident has policy violations in multiple areas. I find them concerning,” Bettison said. “The actions of the officer in violating our policy are not consistent with what should be done. The officer will be held accountable for that.”
According to Bettison, the officer stopped a Dodge Durango for speeding, tinted windows, and an improper plate. The female driver disagreed with the stop and repeatedly requested a supervisor, even calling 911 while the officer was at her vehicle.
The officer called for backup, and when more units arrived, one officer pepper-sprayed the woman after she resisted orders to get out of the vehicle. She then drove off, prompting a brief pursuit up Van Dyke that ended when officers boxed her in near Concord and Outer Drive.
As officers tried to stop the Durango, Bettison said the officer who fired his weapon exited his vehicle, ordered the woman to exit twice, and then fired multiple shots into the SUV as it drove past him.
The woman was shot six times, treated, and later released from the hospital. Bettison said he ordered her immediate release from the Detroit Detention Center, confirming she “will not be facing any charges from this incident.”
