Posted on 12/02/2002 2:16:29 PM PST by 45Auto
An off-duty Detroit police officer shot a man six times after an attempted carjacking Saturday on the city's east side, police said.
The alleged carjacker was in critical condition Saturday night at Detroit Receiving Hospital with gunshot wounds to the abdomen, police said.
The officer, who works in the vice section, told investigators he was at a stop sign at Irvington and East State Fair at 6 p.m. when a man knocked on the window of his Ford Explorer with a 9mm handgun, said Officer Thaxon Hill, a police spokesman.
The officer fired his department-issued gun through the vehicle's window and struck the alleged carjacker six times, Hill said. The officer held the suspect in custody until officers from the 11th (Gratiot) Precinct arrived.
Police also located the 9mm gun allegedly used to threaten the officer, according to Hill.
Hill was uncertain how long the officer, whose name was not released, has been on the job.
"His supervisor was at the scene and said he's a great officer," Hill said.
Hill said he is uncertain whether the shooting victim will survive.
Detroit Police will conduct internal and criminal investigations of the shooting, which is standard procedure. The officer will also be placed on desk duty, while the the shooting is under investigation.
The shooting comes two days after an off-duty Detroit Police officer was shot at Club Med on the city's east side. That officer is expected to make a full recovery.
The police department does not keep a tally of off-duty shootings, but a Free Press review of news articles indicates this is at least the fourth shooting involving off-duty Detroit officers this year.
On July 28, an off-duty officer shot and killed a man during an alleged robbery on Oakfield when four men allegedly approached his car and announced a holdup. On Aug 22., two off-duty Detroit officers shot and killed a man on I-94 during a shoot-out in Harper Woods. On Oct. 1, an off-duty Detroit police sergeant shot and killed a 37-year-old man outside of HB's Hide-A-Way Lounge on West Grand River.
The Detroit Police Department has a policy requiring off-duty officers to carry their weapons except when they are in church, on vacation or participating in sporting events.
Yeah!!! Let the tax payers spend a million trying to keep this POS alive.
That's an interesting little tidbit. Kind of makes an argument that concealed-carry supporters could use.
. . . sniff . . .
Yeah!!! Let the tax payers spend a million trying to keep this POS alive.
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Agreed! Especially when the money could be better spent on improving the marksmanship for these cops. Six shots and the thug is still alive?! Oh, hang your head in shame, Mr. Police Commissioner!
I hope you can deal with being "hearing impaired" for a while.
Yeah, I've considered that. But, God forbid I ever have to shoot from an enclosed vehicle, I'd guess I'd only be impaired twice as long as I would be if I'd used my Glock. Either way it'll hurt.
Well, your point is hard to argue with. I do wonder what these Detroit officers carry as a duty weapon. I'm going to guess 9mm.
I am wondering which door the "perp" tried, left or right? If you have concerns about carjacking I would suggest you do some practicing - both doors. Getting your weapon into position and delivering rounds in a tight group is no easy task.
If your gun club offers IDPA competition, try some competition in their events. Make a suggestion they get some cars from a local salvage yard to make this type of practice realistic. I will say again that under pressure it's not so easy to get a tight group.
Lotta people here would rather be hearing impaired...than dead.
As a gun owner who just completed a personal defense training course, I can attest that point-blank shooting under duress does not produce the results of great marksmanship.
In one exercise, we were required to squeeze off as many shots while a target came barrelling towards us. Most got off between 6 and 8 shots in the 2.5 seconds it took for the target to come nose-to-nose with the shooter. Out of those shots, maybe 70% hit somewhere in body mass.
I opted for accuracy and was only able to squeeze out 4 shots from a "relaxed" position. Three shots hit body mass, and I've been told I'm a pretty "decent" marksman.
I'll never believe what I see in the movies after going through it myself.
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