MELVINDALE, Mich. (FOX 2) – The suspect accused of killing a Melvindale police officer over the weekend is in custody, and the fallen officer’s handcuffs were used to secure him after police found him.
A manhunt for Michael Lopez started Sunday morning after the 44-year-old allegedly killed officer Mohamed Said.
According to police, Said was responding to a suspicious person call at a gas station near Oakwood and Dix around 11:30 a.m. when he spotted Lopez with several bags but no vehicle. Police said the officer went to check to see if Lopez was homeless and needed help, but Lopez ran away.
Said chased Lopez, and there was a brief struggle. When Said Tased Lopez, he pulled out a gun and shot the officer before fleeing, police said.
Michael Lopez winks at the camera after being taken into custody for the shooting death of a Melvindale Police Officer. (Photo: Maricruzz Zaragoza)
A tip led police to Lopez around 6:30 p.m. Monday after he was spotted at a home near Michigan and Livernois in Southwest Detroit.
Once authorities took Lopez into custody, the handcuffs he was in were replaced with Said’s cuffs before the suspect was led away. While authorities walked Lopez to a vehicle, he smiled and winked at those who were filming his arrest.
Officer Mohamed Saids handcuffs being put on Michael Lopez (Photo: Mo Hacham)
Melvindale Police Chief Robert Kennaley broke down when describing hearing that authorities had found Lopez.
“We got him,” he said while breaking down into tears.
Said, 26, who always wanted to be a police officer, had been a Melvindale officer for about a year.
Michael Lopez being taken into custody on July 22, 2024 (Photo: Maricruzz Zaragoza)
“It’s really tough that we lost the oldest sibling in the family,” said his brother Ahmed Said. “We’re heartbroken.”
A visitation for Said is scheduled for noon to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center in Dearborn. Said’s funeral will be 11 a.m. Friday at the American Moslem Society, also in Dearborn.
Source Agencies
