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Detroit police are investigating whether a man suspected of shooting two officers Wednesday night is connected with the fatal shooting last year of a Wayne State University policeman. Wochit
Collin Rose(Photo: Wayne State University)
Detroit Police today confirmed that DNA evidence ties a suspect in this week's Detroit police shootings to the death of Wayne State police officer Collin Rose.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy today charged Raymond Durham, 60, of Detroit, in connection with the shooting of the two male officers Wednesday. Police and prosecutors say that about 8:30 p.m., the officers stopped to do a pedestrian investigation of Durham on Ash Street near Tillman. While he was detained, police say Durham fought the officers and pulled a gun from his front waistband, firing at the officers and leading to a shootout.
One of the officers, a 20-year veteran, suffered multiple gunshot wounds, while the other, a 4-year officer, was shot in the leg, police say.
Police found Durham a little more than two hours later at Vinewood and Michigan Avenue with multiple gunshot wounds. He was hospitalized at remains under treatment in police custody, Worthy's office said, adding that he'd be remanded to jail once he's released from the hospital.
Durham is charged with two counts of assault with intent to murder, two counts of resisting and obstructing the police causing serious impairment, one count of felon in possession of a firearm and five counts of felony firearm. He was arraigned in a local hospital by 36th District Court Magistrate Laura Echartea. A probable cause hearing is set for March 24.
Detroit police are looking for Raymon Durham as a person of interest related to a shooting of 2 police officers on the city's west side. (Photo: Detroit Police Dept.)
"We are able to charge this case today because of the round-the-clock collaboration with the Detroit Police Department, the Michigan State Police and many others who worked tirelessly on this case," Worthy said. "Any time a police officer is injured is a stark reminder of how much law enforcement puts on the line every minute of every day."
Police from multiple local, state and federal agencies "worked very hard to get to this day," Craig said of Durham's link to Rose's death, but given that much more investigation must be done, "this does not signify closure."
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Rose was killed on Nov. 22 in the area of Brainard and Lincoln in Detroit's Woodbridge neighborhood just west of the university. He was shot in the head about 6:35 p.m. that day after stopping a man on a bike. Police said Rose had called for backup just before he was shot by a man who fled on foot. The 29-year-old
officer died a day later.
In December, prosecutors dropped charges against a man initially charged in the case after an investigation
eliminated him as a suspect.
Wayne State University Police Chief Anthony Holt said it was too early for him or other university or city police officers to feel a sense of satisfaction about the DNA link, particularly because two Detroit officers remain hospitalized from this week's shooting. Craig said their conditions continue to improve and both are in good spirits. Police have declined to identify the officers out of sensitivity to their families.
Police, in a manhunt that included more than 200 local and federal agents, arrested Wednesday's shooting suspect on the city's west side about two hours after a gun battle that left the two officers wounded. Both the 60-year-old suspect and officers are in stable condition with bullet wounds.
The suspect in Wednesday's shooting was later found on the ground with a loaded .38-caliber revolver, and he was "preparing to engage" police when they arrested him.
Craig declined to go into specifics about the details of the DNA match, saying he didn't want to undermine the investigation into the shootings. He also wouldn't discuss whether the suspect had been among those police were looking into as possible suspects in Rose's death before the DNA match was made.
Craig acknowledged the importance of the DNA link but called it a “first step” in the investigation of Rose’s killing.
“Whenever there’s a forensic match, it’s significant,” Craig said, but he said it’s “one component of the investigation,” along with interviews and other evidence gathering police have done.
He said the investigation into Rose’s killing had been gathering steam recently, but he acknowledged a strong possibility that Durham might have remained on the streets had it not been for this week’s shootings of the two officers.
Craig said he planned to visit with the injured officers today and get updates on their conditions. He said the more seriously injured officer, who was shot in the neck, was expected to have to undergo several surgeries. Craig said that officer told him at his hospital bedside that he believed the man who shot Rose to death was the same man who shot him and his colleague.
"I don't know if that was cop instinct, but he felt very strongly about it, and I just looked at him and I said, 'Well, we're going to work hard, bring some closure,' " Craig said.
Holt said he would wait for evidence to be presented to Worthy's office before he would be ready to be excited about having solved Rose's killing. He said he and his officers are "taking a wait-and-see approach."
"Keep in mind we had two officers who were gravely wounded and are still recovering," Holt said. "It's a little too soon to be doing any celebration right now."
Wayne State police officer Collin Rose and fiancé Nikki Salgot. Courtesy of Blake Govan
Collin Rose Wayne State University
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