Two Detroit police officers are allegedly under investigation after it appears that they fled a drive-by shooting that happened right in front of them while their vehicle's dashboard camera was recording. The clip shows a man pulling out a gun and firing on another person while leaning out of the backseat of a blue car. Within seconds of the police car filming the crime taking place, the police car flees the scene.
Reports say that an inquiry into the incident on June 30 has been opened. If misconduct is found, the officers may face disciplinary action. Fox 2 Detroit reports that one officer has been suspended, and the other was placed on medical leave.
"This incident is troubling, and it is unfortunate, and it's not consistent with our training," Interim Chief James White said. "And it's not consistent with the expectations that I and my command team set."
While they had initially fled the scene, White noted that the officers returned to the incident site to help the victim. Fortunately, the guy was injured but is said to be alive. Currently, the shooter and getaway driver remains at large.
A regular scan of police cameras allegedly started the inquiry into the two officers. A supervisor saw the video and carried it up the organization's chain of command, causing the officer behind the wheel to be immediately suspended.
"What I'm looking to understand is before leaving the scene and providing assistance, what did they think they were doing," White added. "I need to know a lot of things that I don't want to discuss right now, but it has to do with were they secure enough to take immediate action."
Though there may have been errors, White does express his view that this was an unusual occurrence.
"Individualized incidents do not represent the hard work of the over 2,000 men and women of this department that they do day in and day out," he said.
As of this moment, the investigation is on hold until the officer returns from medical leave for duty to conclude the investigation and a solution is found.