A man was fatally shot by Grand Rapids Police officers near Trinity Health hospital after he allegedly brandished a “gun-shaped object.” The incident occurred on Friday night around 10:45 p.m., as reported by
Audacy
, and subsequently confirmed by other local news outlets.
After the first 911 call from an ambulance leaving the hospital, Grand Rapids Police Department Chief Eric Winstrom explained in a statement obtained by
WOODTV
, a second call alerted them to a man in the road with what appeared to be a firearm. Witnesses, yelling from scooters, warned a woman outside Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital that the man had a gun which he revealed was not a cellphone as initially thought by one of the scooter riders.
Officers who arrived on the scene commanded the man to drop the gun several times, prior to the shooting. Video footage, from both an In-Car Camera System and body cam, captured the tense standoff and the tragic conclusion where three officers discharged their weapons, according to the press briefing and materials released by the police department. The man, described as 38 years old, was taken to the hospital where he was declared deceased. His name has not yet been disclosed pending investigations.
In a media briefing covered by
FOX 17 News
, Chief Winstrom suggested the motive behind the man’s actions could have been ‘suicide by cop,’ a term used when individuals incite officers to shoot by posing a threat. Winstrom revealed that officers had multiple prior contacts with the man to connect him with mental health services, highlighting a continued need for progress in community mental health support.
The man, without being identified, held the object which did not seem to be a functioning firearm, creating a highly stressful situation that led to his death. The Michigan State Police (MSP) is now leading the investigation, with the involvement of the City of Grand Rapids Office of Public Insight and Accountability to provide an additional layer of review.
Meanwhile, the three officers who fired their weapons have been placed on Critical Incident Leave. Despite being physically unharmed, Chief Winstrom expressed his concern for their mental well-being in the aftermath of such a critical incident, which Winstrom knows well after having received threats following a previous police shooting.
Community members or anyone with additional information are encouraged to contact Silent Observer to assist with the ongoing investigation. The final findings and the official determination on the officer’s use of deadly force are expected to be reviewed by the Kent County Prosecutor’s Office.
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