US gunman shoots four police officers

A GUNMAN has opened fire inside a Detroit police station, wounding four officers before he was shot and killed by police.

The gunman walked in through the precinct’s revolving door shortly after 4pm local time and opened fire indiscriminately at officers, police said.

The officers fired back, killing the gunman.  “Utter chaos and pandemonium took place,” Police Chief Ralph Godbee said at a news conference.  “We have a number of officers who are shaken up.”  Godbee said the gunman has been identified but it was “too early to characterise” him while the investigation was ongoing.

The chief said a commander, two sergeants and an officer were wounded, but none appeared to have life threatening injuries.  The commander, who was shot in the back, appeared to be the most seriously wounded.  Godbee said he underwent surgery that evening and his prognosis was “very good”.

A sergeant and an officer who each suffered graze gunshot wounds to the head were both talking and alert, Godbee said.   A female sergeant also was treated and released after her bullet-resistant vest deflected a bullet to the chest, Godbee said.  The one-storey brick building is located along the main street in what is a predominantly business district on the city’s northwest side.

Like other precincts in the city, there are no metal detectors at the entrance and visitors are permitted to come in and talk face-to-face with police sitting behind a large, rounded desk.  “We have to take a step back and look at security at each of our facilities… as far as we screen our public when they come in,” Godbee said.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply