Man Fatally Shot by Police Officers after Dearborn Mosque Arson
According to Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud, the man responsible for the fire is the same man who shot at officers and was then killed.
The man "may have been experiencing a mental health crisis at the time," Hammoud said in a statement. He added that "we do NOT believe there are any imminent threats or dangers to any other houses of worship."
Hammoud said the man fired at police as officers tried to persuade him to put down his gun.
Hammoud was at the mosque at about 2:30 a.m. speaking with Dearborn firefighters, said a city official.
Police said that early Saturday morning, Dearborn police officers on patrol spotted a fire at Al-Huda Islamic Association, which sits on Warren Avenue in the northeastern section of Dearborn, near the border with Detroit.
According to a statement from Dearborn police, the officers then "encountered an armed individual at the scene" of the fire. Police said he "appeared to have shot at the officers."
Dearborn police chased the man southbound on Lonyo Avenue, ordering him to drop his firearm. Police said he opened fire on the Dearborn officers.
"The suspect fired at the officers as officers instructed him to drop the firearm," Dearborn police said. "The officers returned fire, fatally striking him."
It's unclear who the suspect is or his motivation. Dearborn, Detroit, and Wayne County officials did not release any information about him.
A person who answered the phone at the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office did not answer questions about the identity of the suspect who was killed.
A spokeswoman for Wayne County, Tiffani Jackson, did not have information about the suspect.
After police issued a statement at about 6:30 a.m., Hammoud later said in a statement posted about 11:45 a.m. on Facebook that "Dearborn Police officers on patrol observed the fire before anyone called 911. As they surveyed the scene, the individual shot at the officers."
Source: freep.com
