DETROIT (WXYZ) — A Michigan State Police trooper was shot three times on Detroit's west side and a man was killed early Monday morning, according to MSP.
The shooting happened around 4:30 a.m. in the 20200 block of Murray Hill, which is near 8 Mile.
Watch our latest story on the shooting below:
According to MSP Lt. Rene Gonzalez, two detective troopers with the Metropolitan Detroit Auto Recovery Team were conducting an investigation when a 23-year-old Detroit man came out of a house and opened fire on the troopers.
Hear more from MSP in their latest update in the video below
Officials say the trooper was shot three times — once in the leg, once in the back and once in his vest. Other troopers took him to the hospital, where he is in serious but stable condition. Officials say the bulletproof vest saved his life.
Troopers returned fire, shooting and killing the 23-year-old suspect.
Relatives identified the man as Martez Hunter Britt.
Martin Singleton, a retired Detroit police officer and Wayne County Sheriff's Office deputy, was his foster father.
"They're going to paint this young man as he did this and he's bad and everybody is feeling sorry for the police. I'm a police officer too. I feel sorry for the police too, but I feel sorry for Martez cause he's dead," Singleton said.
MSP says right now, it's unclear if Britt was a target in the investigation, if troopers announced themselves as law enforcement or if they were wearing gear saying they were police.
"We don't know if they announced themselves. They approached him, they were armed and Martez, he reacted... maybe he overreacted. He ain't just going to shoot some police officer. That ain't that kind of kid," Singleton said.
The Detroit Police Homicide Task Force is investigating the shooting. It's comprised of DPD and MSP detectives, but the Detroit side will take the lead with MSP assisting. Once complete, the investigation will be sent to the attorney general's office.
