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Fallen Melvindale officer mourned by community
Both the brother of Officer Said and his partner spent Tuesday consoling one another after the Melvindale police officer died over the weekend. The suspect shooter has since been arrested while the grieving process was only just beginning.
MELVINDALE, Mich. (FOX 2) - The brother of Mohamed Said as well as his partner at the Melvindale Police Department embraced one another on Tuesday, days after one of the closest figures in their lives died while in the line of duty.
Ahmad Said, who was Mohamed's brother, told FOX 2 he would go to his relative before anyone else in the family.
"I don’t even ask my parents for anything before I ask Moe," he said.
Only a day before, he stood in front of cameras at a press conference, calling for justice alongside law enforcement as they searched for the man suspected of fatally shooting him over the weekend.
As of Tuesday, a man is in custody. However, grief remains. In the eyes of Ahmad, he lost a brother - while the community lost one of its biggest supporters.
"I’ve seen everybody’s messages and that shows that everyone loved Moe because Moe loved them," he said.
Mohamed Said was shot and killed on Sunday while he was responding to a call of a suspicious person at a car wash around 11:30 a.m. Said had gone to check on the individual - later identified as Michael Lopez, 44. He instead ran away.
When Mohamed chased after him, a brief struggle ensued before Lopez fatally shot Said, police said. It was his partner who found him first.
"I got there and started asking people ‘where’s my partner?’ Nobody would answer my questions. So I started jumping fences looking for him. And then…" said Hussan Ayoub.
He says it's a day he'll never forget. Continuing working as an officer may be a hard-enough job following his partner's death.
"At this point, I don’t know. I’m going to try. I have to hold up for him because he loved his community," said Ayoub.
To honor his partner, Ayoub, who is an expecting father, said he and his wife plan to name their child after Mohamed.
Suspect in slaying of Melvindale cop arrested with fallen officer's cuffs, winks on camera
Michael Lopez, the suspect accused of killing Melvindale police officer Mohamed Said over the weekend, is in custody, and the fallen officer's handcuffs were used to secure him after police found him.
A make-shift memorial has been growing outside the Melvindale Police Department honoring the officer since his death. Larger funeral arrangements are also underway, including a planned ceremony at the American Moslem Society.
There is also a funeral service scheduled for the Ford Arts Center on Thursday, as well as a procession through his hometown. All of it is available to the public.
Following Lopez' arrest, he was interviewed, processed, and is currently placed at the Detroit Detention Center.
"Once the additional investigation is completed, the investigators report will be submitted to the Wayne County Prosecutor for their review," according to MSP Second District on X. "No arraignment date has been set."
The information given by a community member that led to Lopez's arrest "will be reviewed by the offering parties for the awarding of the $37,500.00 tip," MSP stated.