Police: Dearborn officer fatally shoots unarmed man

A unarmed man wanted on a probation violation warrant and suspected in a larceny was fatally shot by a Dearborn police officer following a struggle Wednesday afternoon on Detroit's west side, police said.

Police identified the dead suspect as a Detroit man, but declined to release his name or the name of the officer involved in the shooting.

Family members identified the man as 35-year-old Kevin Matthews, who they said was on medication for schizophrenia.

"They shot my son for nothing," said his mother, Valerie Johnson, wiping away tears. "He didn't have no weapon."

The incident comes amid the emotionally charged atmosphere nationwide over a series of highly publicized police shootings in the past couple of years, many of them involving black men.

Related: Civil rights groups to protest against Dearborn Police

In a news release, Dearborn police said the suspect was "known to be wanted on a probation violation warrant, and who escaped from officers earlier in the day after committing a larceny in Dearborn."

Dearborn police said the officer was patrolling the area of Tireman and Greenfield at the Dearborn-Detroit border when he saw the man, who ran when the officer approached.

"The officer chased the subject and encountered him several houses away in Detroit, where a struggle ensued," the news release said. "Subsequently, the officer fired his department-issued weapon, striking the subject."

Detroit Police Chief James Craig, whose department is investigating the shooting, said the man was wanted on a $2,500 misdemeanor warrant from Redford Township. Dearborn Police Chief Ron Haddad said the suspect had a probation violation warrant from Redford Township.

Craig said the officer saw a man who "was known to him," exited his police vehicle and there was a short foot pursuit. The pursuit "ended in the backyard of a residence, where there was an obvious struggle" and then shots were fired. He said the officer's uniform was torn, equipment off of his belt was in disarray at the scene and he sustained minor injuries.

Haddad declined to disclose information about the officer, including how long he has worked for the department. He said: "It's an ongoing investigation."

In the news release, Haddad was quoted saying: "This is extremely tragic, and while we are grateful that the officer involved did not sustain serious injuries, our condolences go out to the family of the decedent."

Family members and others, blocked by police, gathered near the scene of the shooting, which occurred in the 8000 block of Whitcomb.

An angry family member yelled obscenities at police and had to be restrained by other family members and civil rights activists. "You're all killers," he shouted at police.

The Rev. Charles Williams III, with the National Action Network, and minister Malik Shabazz tried to console the man.

"We need to know what happened and why," Shabazz told the Free Press. "Black lives do matter."

Tyrone Allen with the National Action Network said the police account of what happened "doesn't pass the smell test."

"Let's have an open and honest investigation." The network is a national civil rights group founded by Al Sharpton.

In a statement today, the Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality said it would look into the shooting.

"We remain vigilant about these shootings, and will withhold any other statements until our investigators have completed a fact-finding," Coalition spokesperson Ken Reed said in the statement. "We want to make sure that proper procedures were followed and will continue to monitor Dearborn and Detroit police departments relative to this incident."