A man paroled just one month ago has now been arrested in connection with the shooting death of a young Michigan police officer.
Michael Lopez, 44, winked and flashed a smirk at onlookers as he was arrested Monday evening in Detroit for allegedly gunning down Melvindale Police Officer Mohamed Said, video footage from the Detroit News showed.
Lopez was paroled on June 22 – exactly one month before his arrest – after serving 12 years for carjacking and assaulting an officer, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections.
He is now being held in connection with the shooting of Said, who was gunned down in broad daylight on Sunday.
Said, 23, confronted Lopez when he responded to a call about a suspicious person at a car wash around 11:40 Sunday morning, FOX32 reported.
Said noticed that Lopez had several bags but no vehicle, and tried to ask if he was homeless and needed help, the outlet explained.
The officer chased Lopez as he tried to flee the scene, and the pair briefly struggled. Said tased Lopez, who then allegedly pulled out a gun and shot him.
The suspect was caught on home security video tossing the supposed murder weapon and fleeing the scene on a green bicycle.
Said had only been with the Melvindale force for just over a year when he was killed, the Detroit News reported.
“He’s not just an officer. He was born and raised here, and this community loved him,” Melvindale Police Chief Robert Kennaley said.
Kennaley told FOX32 that he first met Said when the latter was a high school soccer player.
“I first met him when I was a canine officer. I was training my dog out on the high school football field, and he was playing soccer,” he recalled. “He came up and asked if he could pet my dog, which I said ‘yes.’ And then he says, ‘how do I be a police officer?’ So I basically guided him on how to become a police officer.”
“He was an outstanding officer. …Said went out there and gave 110%. That’s what he wanted to do,” he added.
In addition to his new career, Said was looking to get married in the future, Kennaley said.
“I just want everybody to know who Moe is – always a nice guy, always had a smile, always trying to make the city better,” Said’s brother, Ahmed Said, stated during a Monday news conference.
“It’s really tough that we lost the oldest sibling in the family. We are heartbroken.”
Lopez was still awaiting formal charges as of Wednesday morning.
The Melvindale Police Department did not immediately return The Post’s request for comment.
With Post wires
