A Detroit Police officer is under investigation and has been placed on “no gun status” after ballistic analysis revealed she shot two innocent bystanders while responding to a call on the city’s west side.

Interim Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison updated the media in a November 27 press conference about the incident which occurred earlier this year on June 1. Bettison reported that Michigan State Police ballistic analysis received only a day earlier showed conclusively that two women, now 20 and 23, were injured when one of his officers fired at suspects during a “large block party” while responding to an active shooter. 

One 911 caller described a “massive shootout” just before 2 AM on Trinity at Florence, in the area of McNichols and Grand River. Apparently not exaggerating, police recovered eight firearms and 93 shell casings

“The scene was very chaotic, the scene was loud. People were screaming, some were in distress,” according to Bettison.

The officer was searching a home when she encountered two armed subjects and issued a verbal command to drop their guns. One suspect was armed with a handgun and the other with an “AR-style type rifle, similar to an AK-47 assault rifle,” Bettison reported, adding that the officer fired “approximately five rounds” from her department-issued weapon, striking one of the subjects.

The injured subject was ultimately apprehended by officers inside his house where first aid was rendered and a tourniquet was applied which “…saved his life,” according to the Interim Chief.

“In a scene like this, the officers were only on scene for less than a minute, split-second decisions had to be made… Officers were left to deal with the armed assailant standing amidst innocent partygoers,” Bettison said.

The two women who were the unintended victims in the incident were treated at the hospital and released without further information given on the extent of their injuries.

Bettison says the officer “ feared for her life,” and has approximately eight years with the force and no job violations on her record.

Investigators continue to collect evidence, interview witnesses, and review video footage while the officer remains on “no gun status” pending the final outcome. More information is expected to be released at a later date.

“In those block parties when you have 4 or 5 hundred people and an active shooter…you have multiple people firing weapons. And if someone takes a target at our officers, it’s going to be hard to defend themselves and also not hit an innocent bystander. It’s just so condensed,” according to Bettison.

In such a chaotic situation, it is hard to imagine this incident chalked up to anything more than a horrible accident in a crowded and dangerous environment. It would be a shame to see a good officer’s career negatively impacted as the men and women of law enforcement face life-and-death situations with only moments to react, and this seems an awful lot like an officer placing herself in harm’s way to protect and serve her community. On the other hand, describing a rifle as “AR-style type rifle, similar to an AK-47 assault rifle” is just plain unforgivable.