Police accidentally shoot 7-year-old girl in house search
George Hunter and Doug Guthrie / The Detroit News
Detroit -- A Detroit Police officer hunting for a murder suspect fatally shot a 7-year-old girl inside an east-side home early Sunday morning, police officials said today.
The shooting happened at 12:40 a.m., when officers from the Special Response Team executed a no-knock search warrant on a duplex in the 4000 block of Lillibridge on the city's east side. Police say an officer's gun discharged when he had a confrontation with a 46-year-old woman, and a single bullet struck 7-year-old Aiyana Jones in the neck as she slept on a nearby couch.
"They came into my house with a flash grenade and a bullet," said Charles Jones, father of the slain girl. "They say my mother (Mertilla Jones) resisted them, that she tried to take an officer's gun. My mother had never been in handcuffs in her life. They killed my baby and I want someone to tell the truth."
Police had been seeking a 34-year-old suspect in last week's slaying of a 17-year-old Southeastern High School student at a liquor store near the corner of Mack Avenue and St. Jean, Detroit Police Assistant Chief Ralph Godbee said at a press conference today at police headquarters.
Speaking on behalf of Police Chief Warren Evans, who is on vacation, Godbee said, "This is every parent's worst nightmare. It's also every police officer's nightmare."
Godbee stressed that information he released was preliminary, and that the police department planned to launch a full investigation. He also said police are not categorizing the shooting as accidental yet, "although we don't believe the gun was discharged intentionally."
Godbee extended an offer of help to Aiyana's family -- and expressed fear that anger might boil over in the community.
"We might be the target of anger," Godbee said. "All we can do is stand ready to offer our condolences to the family, and any help we can give them."
But Charles Jones said he was trying to not be angry. He sat on the blood-stained front porch of his home Sunday, looking stunned and answering the questions of relatives, neighbors and news reporters.
"I want this story to be heard. This was a wrongful death," Jones said.
Police said they arrested the 34-year-old suspect in the shooting death of 17-year-old Jerean Blake, but Jones and his relatives say that suspect wasn't in their apartment. Jones said police simultaneously raided the upstairs apartment, too.
"Based on our intelligence, we got a search warrant for the location (on Lillibridge)," Godbee said. "Because of the violent nature of the crime, we thought we were entering a potentially dangerous situation."
Officers tossed the explosive device through the glass of an unopened window at the front of the house, Jones said. He said he rushed from a back bedroom to see his mother being pushed to the floor and another officer carrying his bleeding daughter from the house.
Godbee said they entered the apartment and the girl's grandmother grappled with an officer.
"According to our officers and at least one independent witness, the officers announced themselves as police officers before going in," Godbee said.
After an officer tossed down a "flash bang" -- an incendiary device designed to disorient and distract suspects -- and at least one officer went into apartment.
"The officer encountered the 46-year-old female, and at some point a struggle ensued, and the officer's weapon discharged," Godbee said.
"This is a tragedy of unspeakable magnitude," Godbee said, calling Sunday "probably the worst day of my career."
Godbee would not comment on reports that neighbors told officers that there were children in the house, and pointed out toys in the front yard.
Godbee didn't say if the suspect in Blake's slaying was arrested in the downstairs or upstairs apartment. Godbee said, "The suspect was within the scope of our search warrant." He added that the warrant allowed police to search both units.
Godbee said the suspect's car, which matched the description by witnesses to Friday's shooting of the 17-year-old on Mack, was at the location.
"This hurts us all," Godbee said. "We're not robots; we have children of our own."
Deputy Chief James Tolbert said investigators will submit a warrant for the 34-year-old man "as soon as possible."
