Dearborn officer won't be charged for fatally shooting man who attacked woman with knife
DEARBORN, Mich. - A Dearborn police officer won't be charged after shooting and killing a 43-year-old man who was stabbing a woman he had a former relationship with.
The incident occurred in late September last year when a man broke into the home of a woman who had told him she no longer wanted to be his girlfriend and attacked her. Responding officers broke down a door to the apartment and one discharged his firearm after multiple attempts to get the attacker to stop.
"Officer A's actions were justified. He acted in lawful defense of the stabbing victim in this case," read a statement from the Dearborn Police Department.
James Lukasiewicz broke into his ex-girlfriend's home on Sept. 27, a day after she had ended their relationship. Sometime around 6 a.m. while she was asleep in bed, Lukasiewicz climbed into her bedroom window and stabbed the victim multiple times.
He also told her he would kill her if she called the police.
The victim fought him off before running to the bathroom and dialed 911. Officers arrived at the apartment, located in the 22040 block of Park St., around 6:28 a.m.
After officers got to the door, Lukasiewicz informed them he would not open the door and threatened to kill the woman inside. Two minutes later, officers kicked in the door, fearing for the woman's life.
Officer B entered with a taser drawn, while Officer A followed with his gun drawn. Both observed Lukasiewicz standing over the victim and repeatedly stabbing her as he held her over a toilet.
Officer A grabbed Lukasiewicz by the shirt and told him to step away. After Lukasiewicz failed to comply and continued stabbing her, he was shot twice - once in the back, once in the shoulder.
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Police observed the woman with "serious stab wounds" to her neck and face, which caused "life-threatening amounts of bleeding and a collapsed lung." However, she survived after being taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Lukasiewicz died as a result of his injuries. He was pronounced dead by a doctor on the day of the attack.