Chaos erupted in Lansing on Wednesday when two police officers and a suspect were shot during an exchange of gunfire, police said. The violent confrontation occurred around 11:15 am near an apartment complex on West Holmes Road, Lansing Police Department confirmed. Both officers, and the suspect who was also struck by gunfire, were rushed to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to WWJ.
The incident took a sharp turn when detectives, conducting a follow-up investigation on a prior crime, encountered the male suspect in the parking lot of the apartment building. Chief Ellery Sosebee noted that the detectives called for backup, and upon the arrival of two patrol officers, the situation escalated to gunfire. Both law enforcement members and the suspect were wounded during the shootout, FOX 47 reported.
Michigan State Police have since taken charge of the investigation, while the Lansing Police Department complies with protocol regarding officer-involved shootings. In a press conference, Sosebee gave sparse details about the suspect, only describing him as a male previously known to police. Speculation about who fired the first shot remains unanswered at the time. "Detectives were following up on a previous crime when they encountered the suspect in the back parking lot of an apartment building on West Holmes Road on the city's south side" Sosebee said in a statement obtained by FOX 47.
Lansing Mayor Andy Schor appeared at the press briefing, assuring southside residents of their safety and that the incident had been resolved. Sosebee promised updates on the injured officers' status, and the ongoing investigation will be made available, as reported by Mid Michigan Now. The area around Holmes Road and Simken Drive had been closed off to the public as the investigation unfolded, but has since been reopened, police have not yet elaborated on the crime that led to the follow-up.
The Lansing Police Department continues to urge the public to stay clear of the investigation scene and Michigan State Police spearhead the probe into the circumstances that sparked the gunfire.
