A Detroit Police sergeant has been pulled from street duty while internal affairs reviews how officers handled a domestic-violence call the night before a 36-year-old woman vanished from her west side home. Caitlin Tressler has not been seen since March 27, when officers went to her Webb Street address. The decision to move the sergeant to administrative duty comes as neighbors and investigators continue to press the department for answers.
How officers handled the March 27 call
According to WXYZ, officers arrived after 10 p.m. and spoke with Tressler through an open window, while a man inside the home talked to them from behind a closed door and closed window. Sources told the station the officers stayed on scene for around 40 minutes before leaving, even after the original caller warned that the man had "access to (a) blade."
Department opens internal review
"It was very evident to me that this scene should have been processed very differently," a high-ranking Detroit Police official told WXYZ. Major Crimes Unit Commander Rebecca McKay said investigators have questioned why officers cleared the run when they did, and internal affairs has placed the responding sergeant on administrative duty while it reviews the response.
Neighbors and a recovered U-Haul
Neighbors say Tressler's boyfriend packed up and left town in a U-Haul the day after the reported fight, and investigators say they have since recovered that truck and impounded two vehicles from the driveway, FOX 2 Detroit reported. Authorities have conducted multiple welfare checks and executed a search warrant at the Webb Street home, and investigators have identified the man as a person of interest, CBS Detroit reported.
Search efforts and how to help
Family members reported Tressler missing on April 2 after she was last seen on March 27, and police say the case remains active, per ClickOnDetroit. Authorities are asking anyone with information to call the Detroit Police Major Crimes Unit at 313-596-2260 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.
