Department of Attorney General announced it has concluded the review of the November 2nd, 2024, officer-involved shooting death of Rayvon Shahid, 17, of Flint, without issuing charges against the Michigan State Police Troopers involved, finding they acted in self-defense and defense of others. It is the policy of the Michigan State Police (MSP) to send all officer involved shootings to the Department of Attorney General for review.
Attorney General Nessel presents the findings of this investigation in a video announcement found here. This video contains photographs and video footage of the fatal incident from the body-worn cameras of the Troopers involved, and this Department cautions viewers that the announcement contains graphic imagery.
On November 2nd, 2024, an MSP Trooper observed from their patrol car an unknown individual in a ski-mask near the intersection of Martin Luther King Avenue and East Dewey Street in Flint who appeared to the Trooper to be carrying a concealed pistol that bulged from the right side of his waistband. The Trooper relayed this to the other Trooper in his vehicle and further observed the individual acting suspiciously by hiding behind buildings on the east side of MLK Ave. Following further observation that supported their suspicion the individual was carrying a concealed handgun, the Troopers circled the block to effectuate a stop on suspicion of a firearm offense.
The two Troopers drove south on West Essex Street to meet the individual, Rayvon Shahid, head-on as he walked north on the same street. The Troopers activated the lights atop their patrol car and exited their vehicle to effectuate a stop at 6:34 p.m. After a brief exchange about the nature of the stop, Rayvon Shahid reached under his jacket with his right hand, toward the area the Troopers suspected he was carrying the gun. At this point, each Trooper unholstered their pistols and instructed Rayvon Shahid to not reach and to get on the ground. Shahid raised his right hand, empty, toward the Troopers, continued to back away slowly, then turned his body and ran away from them.
Both Troopers pursued Rayvon Shahid on foot, communicating with each other about the now-visible gun Shahid carried in his right hand. One Trooper unsuccessfully attempted to deploy his taser into Shahid’s back. During the pursuit Rayvon Shahid was ordered by the Troopers to “drop the gun” approximately 10 times during the 25 second foot chase. Shahid ran south on West Essex Street before turning northwest through residential property, frequently turning his head to observe the Troopers’ locations. As he approached Pasadena Avenue, in the direction of nearby businesses and bystanders, the Troopers fired their service pistols until Rayvon Shahid collapsed on the sidewalk along Pasadena Avenue, near his pistol equipped with an extended magazine carrying 24 rounds of ammunition. Both Troopers immediately began to provide first-aid while waiting for emergency transportation to the hospital, where Mr. Shahid was pronounced dead.
Under MSP policy, all officer-involved shootings are first assigned to investigators from a different district than where the incident occurred. This investigation was conducted by the MSP Second District Investigative Response Team who then referred to matter the Department of Attorney General.
The Department of Attorney General review concluded the officers initial stop of Shahid was proper and legal and the use of deadly force was a justified exercise of self-defense and defense of others.
Attorneys at the Department of Attorney General reviewed Michigan State Police Reports, signed statements from MSP Troopers on-scene, video footage from patrol car and body-worn cameras, frame by frame image extractions from those video sources, video footage from nearby business and residential security systems, the Genesee County Medical Examiner Investigator’s report and photographs, training records of MSP Troopers involved in the fatal shooting, MSP’s use of force policies, crime scene photographs, and other material.
The legal issue in this case was whether the MSP Troopers acted in a legal manner during the stop, pursuit and use of force during their interaction with Rayvon Shahid. Law enforcement officers have the lawful authority to use force to protect the public welfare, but a careful balance of the facts and the law is required. An officer’s decision about the level of force necessary to control an individual will be based on the officer’s perception of the threat and the subject’s apparent ability to carry out that threat.
Under all the facts and circumstances known to the officers on this date, they were justified in their use of deadly force in self-defense and in defense of others. Law enforcement officers have the same privilege of self-defense as anyone else. Shooting a gun in self-defense requires an honest and reasonable belief that an officer is in danger of being killed or seriously injured. If that person’s belief was honest and reasonable, they can act immediately to defend themselves. Under Michigan law, a police officer, because of his or her duty and responsibility to protect the public, is not required to retreat in the face of a display of force. In this circumstance, Shahid was determined a danger to the community and the public, by the police officers at the scene, the moment he ran with a visible gun in hand. Had the Troopers allowed Mr. Shahid to flee as he attempted, armed and in the direction of many homes and an open business all presumably populated, this would have posed a significant risk to the community.
In this circumstance two MSP Troopers were presented with a person they believed, based on their observations, training, and experience, to be armed with a concealed weapon and acting suspiciously. When the Troopers approached this person, he reached for his waistband, where the Troopers believed he concealed a weapon, and ran from the Troopers, often turning his head to spot the Troopers’ locations. He was ordered many times to drop his gun, visible to the Troopers’ during their pursuit, and never did so until being wounded by gunshot. One Trooper attempted non-lethal means to force this person to drop their weapon, unsuccessfully deploying his taser.
According to the signed statements of the Troopers it was their contemporary opinion that Rayvon Shahid’s refusal to drop his pistol throughout the pursuit indicated an intent to use the weapon against the Troopers, or others, and factored significantly into their assessment of the danger to themself, the other Trooper on-scene, and bystanders. As the suspect continued running toward an area where more bystanders would be present while maintaining control of his pistol in his right hand, the danger to the Troopers and now the public continued to escalate until deadly force was deployed to end the pursuit.
Here, under all of the facts and circumstances presented, the Department concluded the MSP Troopers acted in defense of themselves and the public, and did not act in a manner that could substantiate criminal charges. The MSP Troopers were justified in their initial engagement with Rayvon Shahid on suspicion of concealing a weapon, justified in their pursuit of Rayvon Shahid to effectuate an arrest for Resisting and Obstructing their initial engagement and to investigate a suspected firearm offence, and justified in their use of deadly force under these circumstances as an act of self-defense and defense of others. This Department has assessed the Troopers’ beliefs that deadly force was necessary due to the threat to their lives and those of the public to be both honest and reasonable. Furthermore, this Department is prohibited by law from issuing criminal charges in cases where it cannot prove the use of deadly force to be unjustified.
Nonetheless, this a tragic situation that led to the loss of a young life. The Department of Attorney General wishes to express its sincerest sympathies to the many family members and friends Mr. Shahid leaves behind.
The Department of Attorney General is available to lead or support any investigation of an officer-involved shooting at the request of any county prosecutor or law enforcement agency within the state and today renews this commitment and offer.
Original source can be found here.