When Benton Harbor police approached the vehicle of a man wanted of several felony warrants, the suspect exited and opened fire, hitting two officers before he was fatally shot.
Two Michigan police officers were wounded during a shootout with a suspect who was being sought on several felony warrants late Thursday.
The incident happened just after 11:15 p.m. as Benton Harbor police officers were searching for a Dustin Levell Saffell, 32, who had fled from authorities twice in the past week, WXMI-TV reports. Saffell was wanted on multiple warrants, including home invasion and unlawful imprisonment.
After finding Saffell’s vehicle outside a house, officers began to approach him, and a backup team was called in given the suspect’s criminal record. As officers began getting closer to the vehicle, Saffell exited and opened fire.
Officers returned fire, and Saffell was fatally struck. The suspect fired 15 rounds in the exchange, hitting two officers.
One officer was shot in the leg and stomach and is in stable condition following surgery. The other officer was struck twice on his belt and once in the leg.
The shooting is under investigation by the Michigan State Police.