Shelby Twp officer on leave after fatally shooting man

SHELBY TWP., Mich. (WJBK) - A man fatally shot by police on in Shelby Township over the weekend turns out to have had contact with officers days before the deadly encounter, when his mother reported him missing and that she was worried about his mental state.

"Nobody wants to have to do this," said Shelby Township Police Chief Robert Shelide. "Nobody."

A Shelby Township police officer is on leave Monday after shooting and killing 25-year-old Kanwarbir Malhi.

"It's a tragic situation. There's no doubt about it," Shelide said.

Shelby Township police say their first encounter with Malhi had been Thursday. His mother, who lives at Spring Hills Apartments on Utica and Ryan roads, reported him missing and said she was worried about his mental state. Police found him but he did not want police assistance, they say.

"Then on November 2 during the day, the family, that's when they reported the car stolen," Shelide said.

Then police say in the early morning hours on Saturday, officers spotted Malhi in the stolen car, driving near his parents' apartment complex.

"We had back up on scene. We had four officers that approached the vehicle and they did what you'd call a felony stop," Shelide said.

He says Malhi disobeyed the officers' commands and got out of the car, though told not to, then told police that he had a gun.

"There were sort of hand gestures made along with a verbal statement and I think that's what led our officer to firing his weapon," Shelide said.

A single gun shot hit Malhi and he later died at the hospital. The Macomb County Sheriff's Office is now investigating, not revealing if a weapon was ever found. Before moving to Shelby Township several months ago, records show Malhi also has a history of run-ins with Sterling Heights police.

Sterling Heights police say in 2018 and 2017, they arrested Malhi for assault and battery and in 2013, they arrested him on a felony warrant. Malhi showed prior arrests for fraud, auto theft and narcotics, dating back to 2011. Malhi's family say they prefer not to comment at this time.

"The end result is very unfortunate. This is the last thing our officers want to do," Shelide said.

Meanwhile, as police think of Malhi's family, the officer who fired that shot is now on administrative leave as the sheriff's office investigates.

"There's going to be a thorough investigation. The officer will not be back to work until the investigation is completed. Period," Shelide said.