DEARBORN (WWJ) -- No charges will be filed against a Dearborn Police officer who shot and killed a man after he walked into Dearborn Police headquarters with a gun last December.
Detailing her decision on Thursday, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said the facts show the officer was acting in self-defense, and to save the lives of others present, when he opened fire on 33-year-old Ali Naji.
What happened?
As described by prosecutors, Naji entered the police station on Michigan Avenue just after 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 18. 2022 — a day when civilians, including those dropping off Christmas presents for Toys for Tots, had been in and out of the station.
Within seconds after entering, investigates say Naji pulled out a handgun and, "without any apparent provocation," pointed it at an officer and pulled the trigger. When the gun failed to fire, officious said Naji immediately tried to fix it by removing and reinserting the magazine.
The officer, who was behind an acrylic window at front desk, grabbed his gun, opened the window and then fired at Naji multiple times.
Naji was pulling back the slide on his own gun, prosecutors said, when he was shot and fell to the floor.
It all happened very quickly.
"The entire incident, from the time Mr. Naji produced the handgun to the officer ceasing fire, took 13 seconds. When Mr. Naji’s gun was recovered the safety was off and one round was in the chamber," the WCPO noted.
Naji, who suffered multiple gunshot wounds, was treated by EMS at the scene and then taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The Michigan State Police investigation revealed that on Naji had stolen the gun from a local barbershop where he used to work, and then drove to the police station.
While there is no known motive, officials note that Naji had a known history of mental health issues and said he may have been experiencing a mental health episode.
Why no charges?
Prosecutors noted that on the day of the shooting, police and civilians had been in and around the outside of the police station, and that the officer in the lobby — although behind bullet resistant glass — was the only person immediately available to confront Naji.
The WCPO says the evidence shows Naji. "objectively posed an imminent threat" to the officer and any other person who may have entered the public lobby at that time, adding:
“We may never know why Mr. Naji walked into the Dearborn Police Department with a loaded weapon attempting to fire it at a police officer. My office will not be issuing charges in this case. Although extremely tragic, this is a clear case where the officer acted in lawful self-defense and in the defense of others,” said Worthy, in a statement.
The officer's name was not released.
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