Officer Mohamed Said murder suspect headed to trial

MELVINDALE, Mich. (FOX 2) - The suspect accused of fatally shooting Melvindale police officer Mohamed Said will be standing trial.

Michael Lopez, 44, was bound over to the Third Judicial Circuit Court on all 12 counts following a preliminary hearing in Lincoln Park's 25th District Court on Monday.

Lopez is charged with the murder of a police officer, possession of meth, possession of cocaine, and multiple weapons charges after the July 21 fatal shooting. He is charged as a four-time habitual offender.

Michael Lopez during a preliminary hearing on Monday, Aug. 26, 2024

A woman who knew Lopez for about two months before the shooting, Rebecca Davis, testified during the preliminary exam that she was with the suspect, walking near a Melvindale car wash, when Said "aggressively" pulled up in his squad vehicle and ordered Lopez to pick up a cigarette he flicked onto the ground.

Davis said Lopez started running away from the officer when he began reaching for his gloves and asked them for their IDs. Davis testified that she did not run despite Lopez telling her to.

Said chased Lopez, and shortly after, Davis said she heard a single gunshot.

Corporal Jennifer Janiga with the Dearborn Police Department, who responded to Melvindale to assist in the ambulance escort of Said to a Dearborn hospital, testified that the officer was shot in the head.

Said's family and friends attended Lopez's Monday hearing, where body-camera footage of the officer's murder was shown. Relatives watched closely with tears in their eyes until the shot that killed Said was fired. At the sound of gunfire, Said's younger brother, Ahmed Said, buried his head in his hands.

What happened

Lopez is accused of killing Said while the officer investigated a suspicious person call the morning of July 21.

Police said the officer was called to a car wash near Oakwood and Dix 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.

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.

Lopez was arrested in Detroit the next day after a tip led police to him. Prosecutors said Lopez had a knife in his possession, along with drugs, when he was caught in Detroit.

According to information shared during previous court hearings, Lopez also robbed an auto parts store the day before Said's killing.

Lopez is currently in the Wayne County Jail.