Melvindale police officer who relatives and his chief described as thoughtful and dedicated to the department and the community was shot and killed Sunday morning in the line of duty, police said.
A manhunt was underway Sunday night for a 44-year-old suspect.
The Fraternal Order of Police State Lodge of Michigan identified the officer as Mohamed Said, as did Dearborn's police chief Sunday on social media. Melvindale's police chief declined to name the officer "out of respect for his family."
Police named 44-year-old Michael Lopez in the incident that unfolded near a car wash at Oaklwood Boulevard and Dix Road, the police chief said. He has tattoos and was last seen riding a green bicycle shirtless and was considered armed and dangerous.
"If you see this suspect or anyone closely resembling the suspect, please do not approach or confront," police said.
The incident began at about 11:38 a.m. near the car wash and moved into a neighborhood; another officer reported a suspicious person; by 11:42 a.m., reports came in of an officer down, said Melvindale police Chief Robert Kennaley.
"(Said) was doing his job," Kennaley said. "He saw these individuals with bags that didn't have a vehicle, they were just hanging around the car wash with all their bags, and he went in to investigate to get a feel of if they needed help, if they were homeless, just to understand what they were doing there."
The suspect took off running and the officer went after him. A struggle ensued as Said tried to make an arrest using his Taser, shots were fired by the suspect and "the officer was down," Kennaley said.
"We have every agency looking for him," the chief said. "The biggest thing now is for him to turn himself in because it's only a matter of time before we will catch you."
The department is partnering with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Michigan State Police to offer a $20,000 reward for information on the suspect's whereabouts. Tipsters can call the ATF or contact Melvindale PD at (313) 429-1070.
Remembering Said
Said recently graduated from the Wayne County Regional Police Academy and was sponsored by Melvindale Police Department. Melvindale was the only police agency he had worked for, Kennaley said.
"This is is an officer who put his heart and soul into this job and into his community, and it's, it's outrageous that something like this took place," Kennaley said.
A cousin, Aladdin Saeed of Detroit, said Said’s passing was “devastating.” He said when they were growing up, Said could be stubborn, but the two of them would resolve their disagreements by playing soccer.
Saeed, 28, said his cousin was a good person and a good officer.
“Hopefully they will catch the suspect as soon as possible,” he said, “so we get justice, closure.”
Abdullah Salem, another cousin, said he saw police vehicles in the area Sunday morning, but he didn’t know his cousin was involved. He and his nephew headed to the gym. Halfway through their workout, they got a phone call and found out Said had died. He said he was heartbroken.
“Like time stood still,” said Salem, 31, of Melvindale.
He said he wants Said to be remembered for “the great person that he was.” He was "very thoughtful," helped the local community and would collect donations for people in need in Yemen. He and his family immigrated to Metro Detroit from Yemen when he was a child, he said.
Salem said his cousin's smile was “a big smile – from ear to ear.”
Others who described themselves as relatives or acquaintances of the officer came to the shooting scene throughout the afternoon. Some greeted officers with hugs.
Two people said the slain officer was a former classmate.
Yousef Said, 24, of Melvindale used to play soccer with him at Melvindale High School. He described Said as passionate about his job and someone who always wanted to become a police officer.
Said was "a very genuine guy," Yousef said. "He loved doing what he does … he's Melvindale's all-time, top scorer for the soccer team. He loved playing the sport. He's always been into being a cop."
Another classmate, Saleh Almuraisi of Melvindale, remembered when he and his family came to the country from Yemen.
"He came with no English and then he studied hard, proved himself and became an officer," Almuraisi said.
Police from Melvindale, Dearborn and Michigan State Police spent hours Sunday near the scene. Police vehicles blocked access to the streets closest to a business.
A helicopter flew overhead and a canine unit was deployed in the neighborhood.
The officer is the third in recent days to be killed in the line of duty.
Oakland County Deputy Bradley Reckling was shot and killed June 22 in what was described as an ambush as he followed a car stolen from Madison Heights.
Days later, Hillsdale County Sheriff's Deputy William Henry Butler Jr. was killed in a traffic stop in Jefferson Township, near Hillsdale.
Said recounted earlier this month on his Facebook page about responding to an OWI car accident in July after which the suspect fled on foot. Said said he and his partners searched the neighborhood and thought the suspect might have slipped into a local bar. Inside the bar, a man came up to him and told him how Said had helped him when 20 to 30 deck boards fell from the back of his truck on Oakwood and Lenore in May and recounted how Said moved the boards to the curb to clear the road and then looked for the driver.
"I spent about 20 minutes searching for the truck, even asking my brother and brother-in-law to come to the city and help look for the truck," Said wrote. "Eventually, I found the truck nearby and helped the driver load the boards back. I followed him home to make sure the boards didn't fall off."
Said said the only reason he shared the encounter "is because meeting that man at the bar reminded me how much small actions can mean to people.
"I never expected him to be so grateful, and his appreciation made my night. It showed me that there are still good people out there who notice and appreciate when you help them, no matter how small the gesture."
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