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Police: Woman shoots at officer during Juneteenth parade, is killed

An officer was ambushed while working at a traffic checkpoint and returned fire, officials said

flint juneteenth shooting

WILX

By Nour Rahal
Detroit Free Press

FLINT, Mich. — Michigan State Police are investigating after a Flint police officer fatally shot a woman who they say shot first as the officer worked at a traffic point for a Juneteenth parade.

State police, in a tweet, said preliminary investigation indicated that about 2:14 p.m., the lone person in a vehicle drove up to the officer, fired upon the officer, and the officer then shot back.

The 19-year-old woman involved later died at the hospital due to her injuries, Michigan State Police Lt. Kim Vetter told the Detroit Free Press.

The officer was not injured, according to a Flint Police Department news release.

The officer involved is currently on paid leave while the investigation is pending, in accordance with Flint police policies, said Vetter.

Flint police requested state police take over the investigation.

The officer was working at a traffic point during the city’s Juneteenth Champions Parade at the time of the shooting. Flint native and two-time Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields was slated as the event’s grand marshal and the Flint Beat news organization reported the parade was rerouted to avoid the scene of the shooting.

The Free Press has reached out to potential witnesses for more information.

[READ: A sign of things to come? What we can learn from the Philadelphia and Los Angeles police ambushes]

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