MELVINDALE, Mich. (FOX 2) - Trial is scheduled to continue Friday morning for the man accused of killing Cpl. Mohamed Said, a Melvindale police officer who was murdered in 2024.
Michael Lopez, 45, is standing trial on charges of murdering a peace officer, possession of cocaine, and numerous weapons offenses.
When court ended for the day Thursday, Lopez had an outburst in court. He said that he wanted the jury to know that his lawyer no longer worked for him, and he was firing him.
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Mohamed Said's accused killer tells off lawyer
During a tense moment as court ended for the day, Michael Lopez told off his lawyer. Lopez, who is standing trial for the murder of Melvindale police officer Mohamed Said, said his lawyer no longer cared about his life during the outburst.
"He don't give a (expletive) about my life no more," Lopez said. "I'm telling you that this guy doesn't care about my life no more. He ain't my lawyer no more."
On Friday morning, his request for a new attorney was denied.
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Mohamed Said murder trial continues after suspect's outburst
After court broke for the day Thursday, the man accused of murdering Melvindale police Cpl. Mohamed Said in 2024 told off his lawyer. Michael Lopez is expected to be back in court Friday for day four of testimony.
Previous testimony in murder trial
Multiple witnesses have already taken the stand in the trial, including Melvindale officers who responded to the scene after Said was shot on July 21, 2024, detectives, and a friend of Lopez, who questioned why she was there.
"I’m not understanding why I’m here if I stated I did not see anything, I wasn’t even there," Rebecca Davis told the prosecution, who clarified she had witnessed events "prior to" the shooting.
"I didn’t witness anything though," she said while testifying Wednesday. "I’m a witness to your cop coming to us aggressively."
Dig deeper:
Police said the officer was called to a car wash near Oakwood and Dix when he spotted Lopez with several bags but no vehicle. Police said the officer went to check to see if Lopez was homeless and needed help, but Lopez ran away.
Said chased Lopez, and there was a brief struggle. When Said Tased Lopez, he pulled out a gun and shot the officer before fleeing, police said.
Lopez was arrested in Detroit the next day after a tip led police to him. Prosecutors said Lopez had a knife in his possession, along with drugs, when he was caught.
According to information shared during previous court hearings, Lopez also robbed an auto parts store the day before Said's killing.
McWilliams said that Said, by putting on gloves to search Said, escalated the situation, which caused Lopez to flee on foot.
"The officer takes further steps for no good reason. The officer takes it to a different level a different stage by putting on gloves. That was Mr. Lopez's invitation to leave the scene," he said. "My client tried to put some distance between himself and the officer by jumping a fence."
Said shot a Taser at Lopez and then struggled with him. McWilliams said that Said was on top of Lopez and had "a weapon in his hand."
"My client has apologized to the family for the harm or the hurt he caused," McWillaims said. "He thought the officer was going to shoot and kill Mr. Lopez. The officer was right in the face of my client. In that instant, Mr. Lopez made the decision to shoot."
The assistant prosecutor said that Said was killed for protecting his community.
The Source: Previous reporting and court testimony was used in this report.
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