‘Shots fired!’: Detroit Police Officer shot early Friday morning

Detroit Police Officer shot, 3 suspects wanted

A Detroit Police Officer was shot on the city's east side early Friday morning when responding to a shotspotter call. Police are now searching for three suspects connected to the shooting.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Police are still searching for three suspects wanted for the shooting of a Detroit Police Officer on the city's east side just early Friday morning.

Just after midnight, the call came in from the officer asking for medics in the area of Morang and Whitehill on Detroit's east side.

"Shots fired, shots fired! I need medics now, I'm shot. medics!" the officer called out on his radio to dispatch.

Police were on patrol in the area and responding to a ShotSpotter call, the technology that detects gunfire in the city and sends police to the area of gunshots. When police arrived, they were directed to an apartment building in the area by neighbors and witnesses.

When they started to approach the building, three suspects came running out with one of them shooting at the police officers, hitting one in the leg.

Two other officers with him returned fire but it's not known if any of the suspects were hit.

"One suspect who is armed, is described as an African-American male approximately 5 foot 8, 5 foot 9, with dreads, and he escaped westbound from that location, and we were still looking for him," said Police Chief James White early Friday morning.

The officer was transported to Ascension St. John Hospital. The officer's condition has been listed as stable.

No suspect vehicle or further descriptions were given as the investigation continues.

"We are encountering violence like we haven't seen I mean just extreme violence, impulse decision-making," White said. "And they're constantly under threat but they show up and they do this work. Keep this community safe and I couldn't be prouder."

ShotSpotter is a sound frequency tool used to detect gunfire by Detroit police. Some activists have balked at expansion of the program due to cost but the Detroit CIty Council voted to expand the program last year in a narrow vote.

ACLU attorney Phil Mayor said at the time that the $7 million for ShotSpotter could be better spent on "addressing the root causes" of violence. Meanwhile, DPD proponents argue that 27% fewer gun crimes were recorded in areas that use ShotSpotter.