GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WXMI) — A man went to the hospital Thursday morning after officers with the Grand Rapids Police Department shot him. Both officers have since been placed on leave, which GRPD says is protocol.
Now, Michigan State Police will take over the investigation, which is standard for all officer-involved shootings in Grand Rapids.
GRPD released video of the shooting at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
WATCH:
** WARNING: explicit language **
Officers responded to Forrester Street, south of 28th Street, around 1:45 a.m. Thursday after getting calls about a man checking car doors and trying to steal things.
READ MORE: ‘GRPD: Suspect shot after pointing gun at officers’
“This was just one individual,” Chief Winstrom explained. “They make an announcement, ‘Stop! Police!’ They turn their lights on. They’re clearly visible as a police car.”
Winstrom says the man ran, the officers ran after him, he pointed a gun at them and both officers fired.
WATCH: GRPD Full Press Conference
The scene was preserved for MSP’s investigation and the city manager, along with the Office of Oversight and Public Accountability, responded to it.
“From my experience, it looked to me like a Taurus semi-automatic handgun, a real handgun,” said Winstrom.
He added that he also talked with both officers involved and they were both “very shaken up.”
“Any time there’s a picture of de-legitimacy of law and order, or police departments in general, it’s a serious concern of mine. I’ve seen it in other jurisdictions. I don’t know. That’s what we’re seeing in Grand Rapids. In the month of August, we’ve seen a significant decrease in violent crime,” Chief Winstrom explained.
