1 Detroit officer killed, 4 wounded in shooting

5/3/2010

DETROIT — Police responding to a 911 call at a vacant house in Detroit were met with heavy gunfire early Monday that killed one officer and wounded four others, authorities said.

It was the first time in five years that a Detroit police officer has been killed in the line of duty, Police Chief Warren Evans said.

All five officers and one suspect, a man in his mid-20s who was arrested after fleeing the home, were taken to a hospital, said Evans. The officers were in temporary serious condition. No information was available about the suspect.

Evans said officers responded to the two-story brick bungalow about 3:30 a.m. after a next-door neighbor reported hearing gunshots. The officers positioned themselves at the front and rear entrances of the building, police spokesman John Roach said. He said officers at the front of the house were met with heavy gunfire.

The officer who was killed, who had been on the job at least 12 years and had a 10-year-old son, was shot inside the home and struck multiple times, Roach said.

"It's a tough time for all of us," said Evans. "We're all kind of in a state of shock."

He and Mayor Dave Bing visited the slain officer's widow at St. John's Hospital in Detroit.

"It was the worst feeling I've had since I've been in this position," Bing said.

Police say a .45-caliber handgun and 1 pound of marijuana were recovered at the house.

Aisha Crenshaw said since beginning her job two weeks ago as a crossing guard at a nearby intersection, she has seen a black car with tinted windows parked in the driveway of the house every day. She said she once saw a man leave the house and get into the vehicle.