Detroit officer shoots, kills sword-wielding man who hurled dagger at his face, police chief says

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A Detroit man was shot to death Thursday, after wielding a sword in the middle of the street and then throwing a dagger at a police officer.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig said the incident happened around 7:15 p.m. Thursday on Grand River and Meyers Rd in north west Detroit. 

"The suspect was standing in the middle of the street armed with a sword," Craig said Thursday night, The Detroit News reported. "When officers got there, they told him to drop it. At some point, the suspect takes out a second sword; I think he had three, plus a dagger.

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"He throws the dagger, and strikes an officer under his eye," Craig reportedly said. "The officer deploys his Taser, but the suspect appears to be wearing tactical gear, and the Taser doesn't take effect.

"The officer's partner then fired a round, striking the suspect," Craig added.

The suspect continued to chase the officers and jumped into the driver side of one of the patrol cars.

“A good Samaritan seeing what was going on…took his personal vehicle and he used it to block the suspect in,” Craig told reporters.

The chief said he was unclear what exaclty happened next, but the suspect was transported to the hospital and succumbed to his injuries.

The officer who had been struck by the dagger is being treated at a local hospital for a laceration below his right eye.

The case is still under investigation. The shooting today marked the third police-related fatality this month in Detroit, and the fourth police department shooting.

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In an incident last week, a man caught selling drugs with a partially concealed weapon was approached by an officer, which led to a foot pursuit. The suspect then drew his gun on the officer. The suspect was shot and wounded by the officer, according to The Detroit News.

Another police-related shooting occurred on July 19 after a high-speed chase that resulted in the car crashing into a tree. The suspects inside the vehicle got out to run, and one individual pulled out a pistol. Police shot and killed the suspect.

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A video released on July 10 of 20 year-old Hakim Littleton reportedly showed the man shooting at a police officer feet away from his head. The police returned fire and shot and killed him, Craig said.