Investigators are now trying to figure out whether he took his own life, or whether police officers were the ones who fired the deadly shot.
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The situation began nearly 11 hours prior to the shooting around 9 p.m. in Canton.
Police tell 7 Action News that the suspect started a violent crime spree at a Salvation Army on Joy Road in Canton. A woman was shot outside the building and the suspect also stole a car. At last check, the shooting victim was in stable condition.
After carjacking and shooting a second woman in Canton, a police chase unfolded in Northville. The suspect crashed his vehicle and ran to a nearby CVS store where he carjacked a third woman, this time he also kidnaped the woman, ultimately dropping her off in Highland Park.
Overnight, a plain clothes Michigan State Police trooper zeroed in on the suspect’s vehicle on Detroit’s east side. Investigators said that OnStar helped law enforcement track down the vehicle. As police began to set up to approach the vehicle, the suspect opened fire and attempted to carjack a third person — which ended up being an undercover officer.
Police exchanged fire with the suspect causing him to run into a neighborhood near Gratiot at the intersection of Flander and Bradford. Despite firing at officers, investigators tell 7 Action News the officer walked away unscathed. It did, however, lead to an hours-long standoff with police as the suspect barricaded himself behind a shed.
Around 7:15 a.m., 7 Action News Reporter Matthew Smith reported hearing a number of gunshots in the area. That’s when the situation came to a close. Police are still trying to figure out through evidence being collected at the scene whether the man took his own life, or if an officer’s gunshot killed him.
Police said the shots were fired after spotting the suspect with his gun pointed at officers.
Throughout the better part of Tuesday night, a warning was sent to neighbors to stay in place in both Northville and Canton as police searched for the suspect. The order, referred to as a ‘stay in place,’ was lifted around 1 a.m.
Troopers were also evacuating homes in the area of Gratiot and Outer Dr. but those have stopped now that the suspect was found dead.
