Emotions High After 2nd Fatal Dearborn Police Shooting

DEARBORN, MI – A woman who was shot multiple times and killed by a Dearborn police officer after a chase Wednesday was not carrying a gun, but was “armed with a three-ton vehicle,” a Michigan State Police spokesman said Thursday.

The woman, Janet Wilson, of Detroit, died of multiple gunshot wounds after in a police-involved shooting, according to the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office, which ruled her death a homicide. The medical examiner’s office is expected to turn its findings over to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office for review.

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Michigan State Police First Lt. Michael Shaw told WWJ Radio that homicide is a general term applied in a firearms-attributed death.

“I think, unfortunately, a lot of people and a lot of groups jump on that word ‘homicide’ and think that something wrong has happened,” Shaw told WWJ. “No, this is just an unnatural death and that’s how the M.E. ruled it.”

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The fatal shooting was the second involving the Dearborn Police Department in about a month. A Dearborn police officer, who hasn’t been named, was placed on administrative leave after he shot an unarmed suspect who crossed the border from Dearborn to Detroit after a foot chase on Dec. 23.

The shooting of Kevin Matthews, 35, of Detroit, sparked protests and claims that black residents are targeted for arrest by officers in predominantly white Dearborn. A report last year by USA TODAY that analyzed 2011 and 2012 crime statistics submitted to the FBI found that Dearborn police arrest blacks at 26 times the rate of whites.

One of the officers at the scene pulled out a weapon and shot Wilson, who was pronounced dead at a local hospital, Shaw said.

Responding to questions from the Detroit Free Press about whether Wilson was armed, Shaw said she was “armed with a three-ton vehicle.”

“Armed or unarmed, what does that mean exactly?” Shaw said. “I think everyone wants it to be clear cut, but more police officers are killed during the year with a vehicle than guns. ... So was she armed? Absolutely.”

In a statement Thursday, Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad said his department is “deeply saddened by the two officer-involved fatal shooting incidents,” both are which are under investigation by State Police and other independent agencies. He said:

“Upon conclusion of the criminal investigations we will be conducting internal reviews on both of these incidents. While we are very proud of our long history of Civil Rights advocacy as well as our history of appropriate use of force, we will closely examine all of our policies and procedures to ensure that we are employing the latest training and following national best practices in all of our responsibilities to the community.

“Once we are allowed and it is appropriate to do so, we fully intend to make public disclosures regarding these incidents.We remain committed to providing superior public safety services and appreciate the support during this most difficult time for our entire community.”

The Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality also released a statement, saying that it is on “high alert” after a second police-involved fatal shooting. In it, Coalition President Sandra Hines said:

“Once again, we see the specter of law enforcement’s inability to serve individuals who have a mental incapacity. We continue to urge more training in this regard. It appears that police sworn to ‘protect and serve’ are instead exercising target practice on Detroiters and persons of color, now tragically ending in the death of yet another Detroit individual.

“This is a pattern and practice that we must break. The coalition will be looking into this matter, and continues to hold the government, and particularly law enforcement, accountable for actions they take against citizens.”

Shaw confirmed that Wilson, a black woman, was shot by a white officer, but said the Coalition’s claim that Dearborn officers are “exercising target practice on Detroiters and persons of color” is “ridiculous.”

“I think it’s important to say that yes there’s color involved … but to take a look at it and say it’s a black and white issue, it’s ridiculous,” Shaw told the Free Press. “We have a family that lost a loved one. They’re not going to get her back. We have a police officer who has taken someone’s life and he’s going to have to deal with that for the rest of his life. It doesn’t matter what the color is.”

Until the investigation is completed, “it’s totally unfair to assume the driver is at fault, just like it’s unfair to assume the police officer is at fault,” Shaw said.