Detroit police officer called 'an absolute hero' after he's shot in the hand in struggle with suspect on city's west side

DETROIT (WWJ) --A Detroit Police officer has been taken to a hospital, but is expected to be OK after he was shot in the hand Wednesday morning.

The shooting happened shortly before 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, on Highland St., in the are of Rose Parks and the Lodge Freeway, on the city's west side.

According to Detroit Police Chief James White, officers first responded to the area at around 8:15 a.m., on reports of a man who was apparently in the midst of "some type of mental episode."

Witnesses said the man, who was wearing only his underwear, was acting erratically and jumping up and down on vehicles in the 1200 block of Linwood. Officers arrived on the scene, but couldn't find the suspect.

White said an officer who was patrolling the area then saw the man at around 10 a.m. at a Valero gas station. He approached the suspect, who ran away.

The chief said the officer chased the suspect several blocks before the suspect ran up onto a porch in the 2400 block of Highland.

That's where the shooting took place.

"The officer doesn't know if he's attempting to enter a stranger's home, so the stranger's now at risk," White told reporters, at a noon press briefing. "The officer pursues him onto that porch, they begin to wrestle, the suspect is resisting the officer."

At some point, White said the suspect was able to grab the officer's handgun.

"As the officer attempts to get his gun back, the suspect fire one shot, striking our officer in his hand," White said. "He attempts to fire again. Thank God, the gun jams."

White said the suspect, still holding the gun, then fled.

More officers arrived, chased the suspect down, and took him into custody without further incident.

The suspect was not injured, White said, the gun was recovered, and no other officers were hurt.

White said the man will be evaluated for his mental health issues before being booked in the jail.

White called the officer "an absolutely hero," adding: "I could not be prouder of him for what he did, and what our officers continue to do day in and day out."

No names were immediately released.

Stay with WWJ Newsradio 950 for the latest on this developing story.