According to the Detroit Free Press, on Jan. 28, Detroit Police Department (DPD) officer Glenn Doss died of a gunshot wound to the head after responding to a call on Jan. 24. Police said, on Feb. 11, two DPD officers and one DPSCD officer were wounded during a standoff with a gunman. All four officers were responding to domestic violence calls. Even though police officers are sworn to protect the public, the chance of involvement in a dangerous situation is part of the career.
“Detroit is a perplex city so at any given day it could be your last working on the city’s streets. It’s very challenging and a lot of people with mental illness have guns and a lot of people with mental illness like to die through the hands of the police,” said DPD neighborhood police officer Baron Coleman. “Regardless of the run-in when they call us out to check and see what the issue is, most of the domestic violence issues people come out and they tend to want to shot at the police or have us shot at them.”
Police expressed that a domestic violence call can be very dangerous due to the fact that officers don’t know how many people are involved in the situation or if there is a weapon involved.
“Domestics are the top three most dangerous calls for police. Safety is paramount,” said former Wayne County Sheriff and current Memphis Michigan police officer Stefan Karpuk. “The end results of a call will be separation of the parties, through arrest or noncustodial means. Citizens involved in domestic situations need time, space, counsel, and a clear head to mitigate these types of situations.”
For the families of officers, though, the possibility of losing a loved one can be tough.
“Since I’ve been doing this for so long for them (his family) to know it’s a calling for me. I’m very spiritual, so I have good base in God,” said Coleman.
According to police, losing a fellow officer is devastating and is never erased from officers’ mind nor heart. They find it challenging to move forward but know it must be done.
“These deaths never leave your mind. Learn from the death what you can, and keep the memory of your friend close to your heart,” said Karpuk.
Both officers Coleman and Karpuk are graduates of Detroit Public Schools.
