GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Two officers are on administrative leave after a shoot-out with a fleeing suspect over the weekend.
At 4 p.m. Monday, the Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD) shared updates on the investigation as well as released body camera video from those pursuing officers.
GRPD Chief Eric Winstrom spoke at the press conference and said the suspect has still not been found. Authorities are seeking the public's help.
A traffic stop on Saturday night turned into a police chase when a suspect ran from the backseat of the driver's side of the vehicle. GRPD said it happened just before 11:45 p.m. on S. Division Ave.
The department said the two officers were riding together in a cruiser when they made the stop. After the suspect ran away the body cam footage shows the two officers began chasing him eastbound into an alley.
Winstrom said that even though the suspect was not the driver of the car he had no right to leave the scene after the vehicle had been pulled over.
Other assisting officers on scene remained with the vehicle and its two remaining occupants. As the two officers pursue the suspect one announces the suspect has a gun.
They said the suspect ran between two houses on Horton Ave. when the suspect presented a semi-automatic handgun and fired multiple rounds at the officers. GRPD said both officers returned fire. The officers were not struck by any bullets.
GRPD also shared still shots of the suspect where you can see the gun in his hand.
The body camera footage showed three different angles—the dash of the police vehicle and body cameras of both responding officers. You could see the suspect jumping and running through a parking lot and then over a fence into a nearby homes backyard. That was where both officers notice the suspect had a gun, and yell at him to drop it.
"If you'll notice, the officer behind was calling out a much more description," said Winstrom. "She was the first one that noticed the guns, she was giving clear directions. And then when that shooting happened, they stopped and they stopped because now they know the individual is attempting to murder them. The instinct is a police officer, it's hard to be in a situation like that and not run towards that to end that situation right there. But those two officers, they followed their training, they stopped there."
The suspect continued to flee and has not been found. Winstrom said the last time he was seen on the body cam footage was also the last time the suspect was seen by police. He is described as wearing khaki pants and a black puffy coat with a hood.
Winstrom said the other two occupants of the vehicle have not been charged with any crimes associated with the incident.
"These two officers came just within inches of losing their life from an individual running from a traffic stop with a firearm. So I want to praise the men and women of the Grand Rapids Police Department for the work that they're doing," Winstrom said.
The Michigan State Police (MSP) are investigating the officer-involved shooting. As per procedure, the officers are on administrative leave. Since MSP are conducting the investigation Winstrom could not share much but said that he could share that the officers are not suspected of any crimes related to the incident.
Winstrom said this is the sixth officer-involved shooting in the last two years in Grand Rapids. The two officers who pursued the suspect have more than five years with the department and are part of the special response team.
Winstrom also shared that despite it now being March his department has not yet seen a homicide this year. He mentioned that in 2023 the city saw an increase in violence and so the department increased police presence on the streets.
"Part of that is our proactive, high visibility patrol in the areas that we did see gun violence (last year)," said Winstrom.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Grand Rapids Police Department or Silent Observer. Detectives can be reached at (616) 456-3380 or tips can be sent anonymously through Silent Observer at (616) 774-2345/ www.silentobserver.org.
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