Photo Courtesy of odmp.org
Detroit police officer Loren Courts was shot and killed on Wednesday by 19-year-old gunman Ehmani Mack Davis while responding to a 911 call about gunshots being fired.
During a press conference, Police Chief James E. White said that Courts and his partner, officer Amanda Hudgens, were the first officers to arrive at the scene. Davis was in his apartment building when he shot at Courts while he was in the car. After putting the car in reverse, Courts and Hudgens attempted to jump out of the vehicle to gain cover. However, the bullet hit a major artery, causing Courts to bleed out.
While Hudgens attempted to administer first aid to Courts’ wound, the gunman exited the apartment building to pursue the officers’ vehicle and possibly shoot both of them. Backup officers arrived at the scene and managed to stop Davis by shooting and killing him. His partner Hudgens is still alive.
Officials say that Davis’ motives are unknown at the moment.
Courts leaves behind his two children and wife, Kristine Courts, who posted on Facebook the news of her husband’s death to inform friends and family and expressed how she felt.
In an interview with Click On Detroit, Kristine described
the moment the doctors approached her to give the news that her husband was gone.“I keep asking why,” she said. “I prayed so hard, and when we were at the hospital, it was unreal. Almost out of body because when they came in, you just knew right away when the doctor came in that this wasn’t going to be good.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family with funeral expenses.