Melvindale police officer murder suspect confesses to fatal shooting
Michael Lopez winks at the camera after being taken into custody for the shooting death of a Melvindale Police Officer. (Photo: Maricruzz Zaragoza)
FOX 2 - Suspect Michael Lopez has confessed to fatally shooting a Melvindale police officer to investigators, sources have told FOX 2.
The confession came on Wednesday by Lopez to police in the death of Officer Mohamed Said, which took place on Sunday afternoon. Said died from his injuries that day.
Lopez, 44, was taken into custody Monday, following a massive manhunt to find him by ATF, state and local police and was arrested in Southwest Detroit.
The death of Said has rocked the small, tight-knit Melvindale community, as the former officer was a graduate of the school system and recruited to the police force personally by Chief Robert Kennaley.
According to police, Said was responding to a suspicious person call at a car wash 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.
Michael Lopez
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.
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.
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.
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.
Mohamed Said