Michigan Cop Collapses in Tears After Killing Woman Who Shot at Him During Juneteenth Parade

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Cell phone video shows a Michigan police officer collapsing in tears after fatally shooting a woman who authorities said opened fire on him Saturday during a Juneteenth parade in Flint.

The Takeaway

At a polarized moment for policing, the episode is a reminder that the cops aren’t villains or heroes in a morality play, but real-life men and women who do a tough job.

The moment

The footage, taken by a bystander, shows the Flint Police Department officer pointing his gun at the alleged shooter, Briana Sykes, 19, and repeatedly yelling, “Let me see your hands!” before firing his weapon and then falling to the ground and crying.

The context

Before: According to Michigan State Police, the officer was directing traffic during the city’s Juneteenth Celebration Parade when Sykes pulled up to him and fired a gun.  

After: A police spokesperson told Fox News Tuesday the officer, who has not been publicly identified, was on administrative leave pending an investigation of the incident.

The Reaction
  • Michigan State Police: “No police officer looks forward to using fatal force. The emotional impacts of an incident such as this are far reaching,” a department spokesperson said to Fox News.
  • A witness: “I feel like the police was doing his job, he had a life to protect. Not only his, but we had a parade full of kids. I kind of feel like him dropping, it was the devastation of the whole situation,” the anonymous woman told Detroit Fox affiliate WJBK-TV.
  • Sykes’ sister: “I do feel horrible for the officer who did it and I’m not upset at him or anyone else. As well as the bystanders. Nobody deserves to see or experience that,” Nala MacCracklin said to the Daily Mail.
By We'll Do It Live