(WWJ) – The Detroit community is mourning after police officer Loren Courts was shot and killed Wednesday night on the city’s west side in what officials are calling an ambush.
In less than two minutes after Courts and his partner, officer Amanda Hudgens, arrived at the scene, Courts was shot in the neck and the suspect was killed as he advanced towards Hudgens, who was administering first aid to her partner.
In what authorities believe was “suicide by cop,” the suspect took the life of a Detroit police officer and shattered the lives of many others, including his family. In a heartbreaking Facebook post Thursday, the wife of officer Courts painted a picture of who he was. She said he was more than just a DPD officer – he was a great father. He was their “Batman.”
A frustrated Detroit Police Chief James White and other officials have spoken out about the spike in gun violence not just in Detroit, but across the country. So what can be done about said gun violence? WWJ’s Zach Clark examines the options in a new Daily J podcast.
He spoke with Sean Holihan, the state legislative director for the Giffords Law Center, who says data shows “where there are more guns, there’s going to be more crime.” Holihan says there’s a direct correlation.
“Yet we still can’t get politicians on board with just making it harder for bad guys to get a gun,” he said.
It comes down to implementation, Holihan says. Specifically, Holihan says “red flag laws” – which allow police to petition a state court to order the temporary removal of guns from someone they believe may present a danger to others – are an effective way to save lives.
Related
