It was a sad day for Detroit police after they found two of their fellow police officers dead in their apartment.
The Detroit Police Department said that the officers’ bodies were found in their apartment in Livonia and that evidence gathered by investigators pointed to their deaths being a murder-suicide.
Police Chief James White announced the deaths at a news briefing. The press conference was held at the apartment complex’s parking lot where the incident occurred, located near Six Mile Roads and Farmington in Livonia, Michigan.
Livonia police responded to a call about a well-being check on the home. Responding officers found two off-deputy officers, a 26-year-old man, identified as Matthew Ethington II, and a 22-year-old woman, identified as Maria Martin, dead at the home with gunshot wounds.
Livonia Police Department said officers also found a baby in the apartment. The child was unharmed and was placed in the care of a family member.
Chief White said the Detroit Police Department would not handle the investigation even though he and other officers from his department were at the scene. Instead, the Livonia Police Department is taking the lead on the investigation.
Chief White described the incident at the briefing as a “tragic and sad course of events.”
The Chief said at the briefing posted on Facebook that it appeared to be a domestic incident. He said the preliminary investigations led them to believe it was a murder-suicide, and no evidence suggested otherwise.
Autopsy results revealed that Martin died of multiple gunshot wounds, and Ethington suffered one fatal shot. Livonia Police Captain Greg Yon also offered his condolences to the victims’ families and the Detroit Police Department.
