Murder Charges Filed in Wayne State Police Officer’s Shooting

Updated. DETROIT, MI — DeAngelo Lamar Davis, the 31-year-old Detroit man accused of gunning down a Wayne State University police officer two days before Thanksgiving, was arraigned on first-degree murder and other charges, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office.

The officer, Collin Rose, 29, died Wednesday of a gunshot wound to the head while attempting to take Davis into custody. Davis has a history of assaultive type crimes against police, authorities have said. Police have described the shooting as an “ambush,” but said it doesn’t appear he was targeted.

Davis also is charged with murder of a police officer, felony firearm and felon in possession of a firearm. He was ordered held without bond during his arraignment in 34th District Court in Romulus.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement that Rose’s murder “strongly illustrates the dangers that police officers face every minute of every day.”

Rose was the third officer in Detroit to be killed in the line of duty in recent months. Sgt. Kenneth Steil died Sept. 17, five days after he was shot by a suspect wielding a sawed-off shotgun, and Officer, Myron Jarrett, 40, who was assisting a traffic accident investigation, was struck and killed in a hit-and-run crash Oct. 28.

Nationally, the number of police officers killed in gunfire is up 74 percent, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. At least 61 police officers have been fatally shot, 20 more than were reported in all of 2015, CNN reported. The highest number of firearms-related police officer deaths was in 2011, when 73 officers were shot.

In Michigan, two other police officers died in gunfire — Berrien County court bailiff Ronald Kienzle and supervising court bailiff Joseph Zangaro. Both were fatally shot by an inmate who tried to escape while at the Berrien County courthouse for a court appearance.

Rose is the first Wayne State University police officer to be fatally shot, and one of only two to be shot since the 1970s.

History of Violence with Police

Davis was arrested around 10 p.m. Tuesday after an intense manhunt. Investigators are still trying to determine the exact circumstances of the shooting, which occurred around 6:30 p.m., off the WSU campus in the area of Lincoln and Brainard streets in Detroit. Multiple media organizations have reported that Davis, who was on a bicycle, had refused to leave an apartment building in that area and the management.

Rose died less than 24 hours after he was shot after having been placed on life support.

Tuesday wasn’t Davis’ first run-in with police, the Detroit Free Press reported. In 2011, he was charged with two counts of felony assault on a police officer, including one that caused injury. There was another confrontation with police in 2014, but Wayne State Police Chief Tony Holt said at a news conference Wednesday that he didn’t have details.

In the statement announcing the charges in Rose’s murder, Worthy described him as “universally respected and admired” for his work ethic.

“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Officer Rose,” Worthy said. “All of us at the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office grieve along with the Wayne State University community and the law enforcement community.”

Wayne State University President M. Roy Wilson shared the news of Rose's death in a campus-wide message at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

“I am saddened to report that a short time ago, Wayne State University officer Collin Rose died from the gunshot wound he suffered while working in the line of duty yesterday evening,” he said. “This is a tragedy felt by all of us — Collin and his family and friends, his fiancée, and our campus and community. Please keep Collin and his fiancée and family in your thoughts and prayers. Collin served Wayne State with distinction, and we owe those he left behind our deepest sympathies and our strong support.

“Please keep all our police officers in your thoughts as well. Collin is the first and only Wayne State officer ever to fall in the line of duty. Our officers mourn with us, but these dedicated, professional men and women continue to serve us courageously, every day. We can honor Collin’s memory best with our ongoing gratitude and support for all of our officers.”

Photo via Detroit Police Department