TAYLOR (WXYZ) — A man who police say is wanted out of Ohio for aggravated armed robbery was hospitalized after being shot by officers in Taylor.
Watch Darren Cunningham's video report:
The shooting happened late Monday morning at the Sheetz gas station on Eureka Road, right off of I-75. Taylor Police Chief John Blair told reporters that the U-Haul was spotted at 11:40 a.m. by Flock cameras, which alerted officers to the vehicle's presence in the city.
RAW VIDEO: Taylor Police Chief John Blair updates officer-involved shooting outside Sheetz
An officer then spotted the U-Haul in the Sheetz parking lot, confirmed it was the correct vehicle, and then called for backup. Blair says the officer turned on his lights and siren and tried to stop the U-Haul in the parking lot, but it crept towards the exit, where it was blocked in by two responding cruisers.
“(Officers) attempted to get the individual to step out of the vehicle, refused to do that... back into one of our police cars, opened up the driver’s door and pointed a gun at our officers and they protected themselves," Blair explained.
He said four police officers fired at him, hitting him multiple times. Blair says the man's gun was recorded on the driver's side floor by police body cameras. It's unclear if the man fired any shots himself.
Police say the man was wanted in connection with a June 30th armed robbery of a dollar store near Cleveland. Blair says that following the robbery, the U-Haul was placed in both the LEIN and Flock systems as being involved in the crime. The U-Haul itself has also been reported as stolen, although the exact details on that aren't known.
The suspect was shot multiple times and transported to the hospital. His name has not yet been released. He is described as saying he's a 38-year-old African American. Blair says he is from Canton, Ohio. His injuries are being described as "survivable".
A female passenger in the car was unharmed. She is reportedly cooperative and described as a White woman from Mississippi who is about the same age as the suspect. Both are described as practicing Muslims. Blair says the woman was dressed in a full hijab. Blair says they are not yet clear on the connection between the two individuals.
No officers were harmed in this incident, authorities tell us. We're told that a couple of rounds went into the Sheetz, but no one was injured.
Per department policy, the Michigan State Police is taking over the investigation into the shooting. The four officers who fired shots are on administrative leave. Evidence related to the Ohio robbery case will be turned over to Cleveland police for that investigation.
As part of the investigation, the rear of the U-Haul was opened. It was found to be empty.
