Detroit Police Chief Todd Betson provides a detailed briefing on a critical incident at 7 Mile and Gratiot involving a traffic stop, a suspect fleeing, and an officer-involved shooting. The investigation is ongoing, with criminal and administrative reviews underway to ensure transparency and accountability.
Todd Betson, Chief of Police of the Detroit Police Department, presents a critical incident briefing to maintain transparency with the community. This briefing outlines the events, evidence, and procedures related to a recent police incident at 7 Mile and Gratiot. The department emphasizes integrity, professionalism, and public trust as core values.
On October 21st, at approximately 9:45 p.m., gang intelligence officers were on routine patrol near 7 Mile and Gratiot. Dash cam footage shows a vehicle approaching the officers as they travel westbound on 7 Mile. The officers made a U-turn to follow the vehicle eastbound after observing traffic violations:
The officers approached the vehicle from behind and noticed an obstructed license plate. They activated a traffic stop, and the vehicle turned into a business drive-through at the corner of Gratiot and 7 Mile.
Four officers exited their vehicle and approached the suspect vehicle. Body worn camera footage from Officer B shows him requesting the driver's license, registration, and proof of insurance. The driver provided a state ID instead. Officer B asked if there were any weapons in the vehicle; the driver was unsure and asked other occupants, who did not respond.
Officer B requested permission to search the vehicle for weapons, which the driver granted. He then ordered the driver out of the vehicle. Meanwhile, Officer B addressed a rear passenger who appeared non-compliant, instructing him to keep his hands up.
Officer A's body camera footage shows him approaching the passenger side and directing the front passenger to exit and move to the rear near the officers' scout car. Upon hearing a confrontation between Officer B and the rear passenger, Officer A moved to assist.
The rear passenger resisted officers' attempts to turn him around and place his hands behind his back. Officer B gave multiple commands to comply and stop resisting. He then drew his taser and attempted to deploy it, but it was ineffective.
The suspect attempted to grab Officer A's weapon and managed to slip between the officers and the vehicle door, fleeing through the business drive-through. Officers A and B pursued him, with Officer A commanding the suspect to show his hands.
The suspect produced a firearm, prompting Officer A to fire one shot, which was later confirmed to have taken effect. Shortly after, Officer A ordered the suspect to the ground and handcuffed him.
Officers immediately notified the zone dispatcher that shots had been fired and requested medics. The suspect was transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries and has since been released. No officers were injured during the incident.
A canvass was conducted to locate additional camera footage. It was determined that cameras at the business where the incident occurred were inoperable at the time.
The footage presented includes officers' body worn cameras and dash cam videos. Body worn cameras, worn at chest level, provide a general perspective but do not capture everything the officers saw. They record both audio and video upon activation, with a 15-second video buffer without audio prior to activation.
Deputy Chief Grant Ha, legal advisor to the Detroit Police Department, explains that two types of investigations follow critical incidents:
Separately from disciplinary processes, an officer's duty status may be changed to:
If conduct appears egregious, the Chief of Police may recommend to the Board of Police Commissioners that the officer be placed on administrative leave without pay but with medical benefits. This action removes law enforcement authority and pay until an administrative hearing before an arbitrator.
The Detroit Police Department remains committed to transparency and accountability throughout the investigation of this critical incident. The community will be kept informed as new information becomes available and as the investigations progress. The department upholds the highest standards of integrity and professionalism in all its operations.
