DETROIT
(AP) — Video released by Detroit police show a young man appearing to
shoot at an officer at close range Friday before fellow officers opened
fire, killing the suspect.
Police
Chief James Craig told reporters as he released the video Friday
evening that the suspect he identified as 20-year-old Hakeem Littleton
was no more than 3 feet (0.91 meters) away when he began shooting.
“It’s simply a miracle he wasn’t struck in the head,” Craig said about the officer.
Hours
earlier, dozens of protesters converged at the site of the shooting on
Detroit’s west side, yelling at police and chanting “Black Lives Matter”
and “Defund DPD!”
Craig
said he wanted to released the videos promptly because of what he
described as rumors about the shooting, which he said included erroneous
social media postings that Littleton had been unarmed.
The
shooting occurred about 12:30 p.m. as officers were investigating a
Fourth of July block party shooting and arrested a different man, who
did not resist.
Police
had no plans to arrest Littleton for anything, Craig said. Littleton
appeared calm on the video, even raising his hands before suddenly
reaching into his pocket, pulling out a semi-automatic pistol, pointing
and shooting it at the officer as they faced each other.
Craig said the officer closest to Littleton hadn’t even had a chance to unholster his own weapon before the shooting started.
In
all, eight shots were fired over a span of five seconds, four by three
different officers and four shots by Littleton, Craig said. He said
Littleton continued to fire after he fell to the ground.
Craig
said Littleton, who was on probation for an unarmed robbery, seemed to
say something about not allowing officers to arrest his friend before he
began firing.
Littleton was pronounced dead at a hospital. A gun and shell casings were recovered.
No
officers were wounded. Those involved in the shooting have been placed
on administrative leave pending an investigation into the shooting.
The
other man taken into custody had an outstanding warrant. He is a
suspect in a gang-related shooting on July 5 at a block party that left
three people dead and five others wounded.
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