By Julia Cardi, Charles E. Ramirez
The Detroit News
MELVINDALE, Mich. — A man accused of fatally shooting a Melvindale cop and eluding authorities for more than a day is finally in police custody.
Michael Lopez, 44, was arrested just before 6:30 p.m. Monday in the 3400 block of Gilbert Street near Livernois in Detroit, according to a spokeswoman for the Michigan State Police and neighbors who watched the arrest. Video shows a swarm of authorities around Lopez, his hands handcuffed behind his back.
Alice Czarnecki, a neighbor on Gilbert Street who watched the arrest from her home, said she had never seen Lopez before. She described the neighborhood as family-oriented and said it scared her to know Lopez was trying to hide just across the street from her. She had never seen so many law enforcement officers in one place.
“He seemed evil. It seemed like he didn’t have compassion for what he did; he smirked at the camera,” Czarnecki said.
Lopez was wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of Mohamed Said , 26, an officer with the Melvindale Police Department, late Sunday morning after a struggle near a car wash. Lopez allegedly fled the scene on a bicycle.
Multiple agencies were looking for the 44-year-old before his arrest, including the Michigan State Police, Wayne County Sherriff’s Office and Detroit Police Department.
Melvindale Mayor Nicole Shkira told The Detroit News before Lopez’ arrest that she considered Mohamed Said like a sibling because he was supportive of her mayoral campaign, and when she won the election, he told her they were brother and sister for life.
“And now I have a ‘Mo’ who’s without a partner,” Shkira said, appearing to hold back tears.
Czarnecki said it makes her sad to know how young Said was.
“It just reminds me of my little sisters as they’re growing up, getting older; just to see someone who’s not even enjoying their career height yet,” she said.
At an emotional press conference earlier Monday evening at the Melvindale Police Department, one of Said’s younger brothers, Ahmed Said, said Monday he believed Lopez would have harmed someone else had his brother not encountered him. Ahmed Said described his brother as a person who loved everyone.
“‘Mo’ took the bullet for somebody,” Ahmed Said said.
Jim Deir, the special agent with Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in charge for Michigan, said Monday evening before Lopez was caught that police would use all the resources available to them to find him.
“Gun violence rips at the fabric of every community,” said Deir. “But an assault on a police officer is unacceptable.”
A reward for information leading to the conviction of Lopez, meanwhile, was increased Monday to $37,500 from $20,000, the ATF said in a statement.
The shooting death of Said happened at about 11:30 a.m. Sunday near a car wash at Oakwood Boulevard and Dix Road . Melvindale Police Chief Robert Kennaley said Said saw people with bags hanging around the car wash and went to investigate.
At some point during that process, a suspect took off running and an officer followed. A struggle ensued and as Said tried to make an arrest using his Taser, shots were fired by the suspect and “the officer was down,” Kennaley said Sunday.
On Monday, Kennaley said he first met Said, a Melvindale native who’d been with the police department for just over a year, when he was a high school soccer player, and kept in touch with him through Said joining the Melvindale Police Department . Kennaley said he had dreams of joining the K9 unit or detective bureau.
“He’s not just an officer. He was born and raised here, and this community loved him,” Kennaley said.
Said recently graduated from the Wayne County Regional Police Academy and was sponsored by Melvindale Police Department. Melvindale was the only police agency he had worked for, Kennaley said.
Said is the third law enforcement officer in Michigan killed on duty in roughly a month. Oakland County Sheriff’s Deputy Brad Reckling, 30, was shot and killed June 22 while pursuing a stolen car. So far, only one person has been charged on accusations of lying to police and resisting arrest in connection with the investigation into Reckling’s death.
Less than a week after Reckling died, Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Deputy William Henry Butler Jr ., 51, was fatally shot June 27 during a traffic stop by a man who was a passenger. The man was killed shortly after by Michigan state troopers.
Shkira said Said’s family agreed to have his body embalmed, a burial soon after death is customary in the Islamic faith, so he can receive a full police funeral. Funeral services will be held from 12-8 p.m. Thursday at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Avenue in Dearborn and at 11 a.m. Friday at the American Moslem Society, 9945 Vernor Highway in Dearborn.
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