Detroit police investigate staffing decisions on night of mass shooting
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Detroit Police Chief James White holds a press conference the day after the July 7 shooting. Photo: Samuel Robinson/Axios
Detroit police are questioning the actions of a supervisor who allegedly drove past the packed east-side block party this month before it ended in gunfire.
The big picture: In response to community concerns about the lack of police intervention at a growing party that ended in a shoot-out, killing two and injuring 19, the Detroit Police Department has launched an internal investigation into the incident.
Driving the news: Department officials have started a full investigation into the planning and response to the July 7 shooting.
- "We're looking into why [the supervisor] failed to act," Assistant Police Chief Charles Fitzgerald told the Detroit News. "He reported to Notification and Control that he went to the party at 1:38am, and that there were only about 60 people, although I've looked at video and it appeared to be close to 80 to 100. It later grew to more than 300, but if all he'd done was to sit there parked with his flashing lights on, that party would've probably started to clear out."
- The Detroit News obtained emails to members of the department's Mobile Field Force unit that handles block parties warning they would be below normal strength during Fourth of July weekend because the precincts needed to be adequately staffed.
What they're saying: "[D]uring the holiday season, everyone wants to be nice and give people an extra day off here and there. We're trying to figure out if that's what happened last weekend," Fitzgerald said.
State of play: Police say evidence suggests the shooting was not random.
- Detroit Board of Police Commissioners chair Darryl Woods, whose niece was shot in the neck during the shooting, told Axios last week he's confident the department will conduct a transparent investigation.
The latest: Cortez Lindsey, 40, was arrested and is being held in federal custody in connection with the shooting after police found an AR-style rifle from his truck, according to a federal filing made last week.
Between the lines: City Council member Coleman Young II introduced an ordinance last week that defines unlawful gatherings.
- The ordinance gives police authority to break up parties, hold hosts responsible and punish partygoers who refuse to leave.
- Other members expressed concern that the ordinance doesn't address the root causes of gun violence. "I don't see how this solves the issue per se," council President Mary Sheffield said Tuesday. "I'm looking forward to those discussions."