Man with an ice pick fatally shot by Warren police, sparking questions
Some said Tuesday they are grateful they are safe.
Others — with the memory in mind of killings like George Floyd's in Minnesota — want to know if, in this case, lethal force to stop a man with an ice pick was excessive, and wondered if mental illness played a role in his response.
Police said the man was a suspect in a domestic violence incident in which a woman reported being threatened with a knife in the 27,000 block of Railroad Street, but he ran away before officers arrived.
Authorities did not say what prompted the dispute or whether the woman was injured.
In addition, police said, the woman told them the man also threatened to harm officers "with a weapon." The initial report did not whether the weapon was the knife — or a gun or something else.
The man's name was not released.
According to the police account: After the suspect ran, officers then began looking for the suspect — who may have been armed and a danger to officers and others — and then eventually spotted him near George Merrelli Drive and Lorna Avenue.
"Officers then encountered this male suspect who produced an icepick and at which time an officer-involved shooting occurred," police said. "The Warren Fire Department was contacted immediately."
He was taken to a hospital where "he ultimately succumbed to his injuries."
Police said no officers were injured.
As part of the investigation, police said that detectives and technicians combed the scene for evidence. They will likely try to piece together what happened at the scene and review procedures.
More: As spring approaches, expect a few days of warmer weather — then torrential rain
Some residents, however, are already raising questions on social media comments and posts, calling for the release of more information about the incident and body camera recordings and questioning whether lethal force was called for — or necessary.
Last year, an 18-year-old who may have been in mental distress was shot by police three times and died near Ryan Road north of 11 Mile Road. In that case, police said they were notified that the suspect hadn't slept for days and was threatening his family.
Police later released graphic video of the shooting in which the young man pointed a handgun at officers and the officers shot him. The teen was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Police did not address whether the suspect Monday had threatened officers directly — or whether using a device, such as a Taser, that emits an electric shock to overwhelm and immobilize, but not kill, him was a realistic option.
Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Police fatally shoot man with an ice pick in Warren
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Family of Bronx man fatally shot by NYPD may go to court over decision to spare his job
The family of a man killed by police during a Bronx traffic stop six years ago may go to court to compel Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch to terminate the NYPD lieutenant who fired the fatal shot, the Daily News has learned. Allan Feliz's family and several civil rights groups are considering taking legal action to force Tisch to fire Lt. Jonathan Rivera for the botched 2019 traffic stop. Commissioner Tisch last week decided not to fire Rivera, even though NYPD trial judge Deputy Commissioner Rosemarie Maldonado found Rivera guilty of first-degree assault and recommended he be dismissed. Instead, she sided with an attorney general report that determined Rivera's use of deadly force could not be proven to be unjustified 'beyond a reasonable doubt.' The trial judge's determination is only a recommendation, NYPD officials said. The police commissioner has the final say in all discipline matters and can impose stricter or more lenient sentencing if she wishes, officials said. In a letter exclusively shared with The News, advocates, which include LatinoJustice, the Justice Committee, and the Civilian Complaint Review Board, the decision to ignore Maldonado's findings was 'arbitrary and capricious' and 'constitutes an abuse of discretion as a matter of law.' 'Deputy Commissioner Maldonado looked Lieutenant Rivera in the eye, listened to his testimony, and determined that he was lying,' said Andrew Case, supervising counsel of LatinoJustice, who co-wrote the letter. 'The hearing officer is the best person to judge witnesses — this is a basic principle of law that the Commissioner should have learned in law school.' 'Tisch's decision violates that principle and therefore constitutes an abuse of her discretion to impose discipline,' Case said. Advocates plan to deliver the letter to Tisch on Friday, following a noon rally outside NYPD headquarters in lower Manhattan with the Feliz family. Rivera and two other officers pulled Feliz over in his Volkswagen near Woodlawn Cemetery for not wearing a seat belt, according to police. For some reason, Feliz handed them a driver's license that actually belonged to his brother, Sammy, who had three minor warrants — for spitting, littering and disorderly conduct — according to police. The officers reportedly asked him to step out of the car so they could pat him down, but Feliz hit the gas and tried to drive away while an officer was trying to pull him out of the car, officials said. Rivera fired his Taser at Feliz, then got into the car on the passenger's side and threatened to shoot Rivera as a physical struggle ensued, according to body camera footage, as another officer attempted to yank Feliz out of the vehicle. 'Yo! If I have to end up f—–g shooting you, bro!' Lt. Rivera is heard screaming as Feliz wails in pain from repeated Taser shocks. 'Yo, bro! I'm going to f—–g shoot you.' Moments later, as the car lurched forward, Rivera shot Feliz in the chest. Feliz later died at Montefiore Medical Center. Rivera has always argued he believed Feliz was about to run over one of the other officers when he fired. Yul-san Liem, the deputy director of the Justice Committee said the decision to spare Rivera is preliminary. The CCRB has sent in their response to Tisch's decision and she will have another opportunity to review the response and determine if she wants to keep her findings or change them.
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Washington Post
Retired police sergeant gets 6 months in prison for Taser attack on man in mental health crisis
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — A retired police sergeant in a New York suburb has been sentenced to six months in prison and six months of home confinement for repeatedly firing a Taser gun at a man suffering a health crisis. U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas told the retired Mount Vernon police sergeant, Mario Stewart, that it was necessary 'to send a clear message' to law enforcement that although policing is a 'really hard,' there are rules and 'where the line is clear, you cannot cross it.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Police: Teen killed after White Lake Twp. homeowner shot at group who entered his garage
A 17-year-old was killed and another was hospitalized after an Oakland County homeowner opened fire on a group of people who police say entered the homeowner's garage early on Tuesday, July 8. Around 1 a.m., seven individuals entered the detached garage of a residence in the 9000 block of Mandon Drive in White Lake Township, according to a news release from the White Lake Township police department. The homeowner, who had been alerted by a video surveillance system, exited the house and fired multiple shots toward the group. All seven fled the scene on foot, White Lake Township police said. Oakland County Central Dispatch later notified White Lake Township officers that two people with gunshot wounds had been located in Commerce Township — one at Huron Valley Hospital and another near the hospital. One of the 17-year-olds died from his injuries, police said. The other is in stable condition and remains hospitalized as of Tuesday afternoon. More: Warren man to spend decades in prison after killing roommate, hiding his body Police said two people suspected of involvement in the garage break-in were arrested, and officers continue to search for other suspects. It remains unclear whether the homeowner could face charges. Michigan's Self-Defense Act allows individuals to use deadly force without first trying to retreat, as long as they are not committing a crime and are somewhere they have a legal right to be. The law, outlined in MCL 780.972, permits deadly force if a person honestly and reasonably believes it is necessary to prevent imminent death, great bodily harm or sexual assault. A related statute, MCL 780.951 presumes the use of force is justified if someone unlawfully enters a home, business or occupied vehicle. The case is under investigation and will be submitted to the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office for review, police said. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call 248-698-4404. Nour Rahal is a trending and breaking news reporter. Email her: nrahal@ Follow her on Twitter @nrahal1. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: White Lake Twp. homeowner fatally shoots teen, injures another
