A motorist pulled over in the middle of the night for a seemingly routine traffic stop got out of his truck and pumped several bullets into the two police officers who stopped him, killing them both, police said.
Officers Jennifer Fettig, 26, and Matthew Bowens, 21, were shot about 2 a.m. Monday, becoming the 18th and 19th Detroit officers killed in the line of duty since 1990.
Police used the suspect’s driver’s license, found in the police cruiser, to arrest Eric L. Marshall, 23, later Monday at his home. The unemployed Detroit man was likely to be arraigned Tuesday, Chief Ella Bully-Cummings said.
The traffic stop had not been called in to police dispatchers. “We don’t know what they stopped him for. It’s hard to say,” said Cmdr. Craig Schwartz of the Major Crimes Division.
After making the stop, Bowens and Fettig returned to their cruiser with Marshall’s license. The suspect got out of the pickup truck, approached the officers’ car and shot Fettig twice, at least once in the head, Schwartz said.
The suspect ran away while Bowens got out of the cruiser and radioed for backup. The suspect returned and shot Bowens nine times before taking the officer’s weapon and driving away, Schwartz said.
At least 22 empty shell casings were found at the scene. Neither officer was able to return fire, Schwartz said.
Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick said Bowens’ family noted he wanted to an officer for as long as they could remember. Bowens, who was married, joined the department in December 2000.
“This is the only thing he wanted to do with his life,” Kilpatrick said.
Fettig joined in October 2001 and was engaged to another Detroit officer.
Police Cmdr. Charles Barbieri said he knew Bowens and Fettig when they were rookies. “This is very personal,” Barbieri said. “Two officers getting shot in the street in the middle of the night. And for what?”