Police say Kevin William Hassell drove this 1995 Pontiac Grand Prix from a home he was breaking into to his own Green Oak Township home where police shot and killed him.
AP photo
Kevin Hassell
From MDOC
Police have released the name of a man killed in a shootout with police just north of Whitmore Lake in Livingston County's Green Oak Township Monday.
Kevin Hassell, 31, was shot dead inside his home in the 8200 block of Twilight Drive after exchanging gunfire with police officers, said Lt. Michael McCormick of the Michigan State Police.
An officer from Green Oak Township police and a state police trooper chased Hassell to the residence from a home on Bishop Road. Hassell is believed to have been breaking into the house, police said.
The two officers, both men, followed Hassell into his house and the three engaged in a shootout resulting in Hassell's death, McCormick said. Neither officer was shot, but the trooper suffered a sprained wrist, he said.
Because multiple shots were fired it hasn't been determined which one of the officers — or both — shot the fatal round or rounds that killed Hassell.
“We’re still processing the forensics evidence,” he added.
Police were not releasing how many times Hassell was shot.
Both officers have been placed on leave following the shooting per protocol, McCormick said. The Green Oak Township officer is an eight-year police veteran. The trooper has been with the state police for 12 years.
The shooting comes less than a week after a state police trooper shot and killed Gabriel Stevenson, 18, of Ypsilanti Feb. 12 after he crashed his car into a house and lunged at police with a knife, police said.
“They’re doing fine," McCormick said about personnel at the Brighton post who don't commonly deal with fatal shootings involving troopers so close together. "The post morale is still good.”
Monday's incident started around 4:30 p.m. when a citizen called police to report a break-in on Bishop.
“He indicated that someone was breaking into the residence,” McCormick said.
The two responding officers located and gave chase to the fleeing Hassell, who was driving a 1995 Pontiac Grand Prix, police said.
McCormick said the Green Oak officer was on patrol at the time and the trooper "just happened to be in the area."
The officers pursued Hassell a short distance to his house on Twilight Drive and chased him inside.
"Gunfire erupted at that time,” McCormick said.
Police were could not confirm if there was anyone else in the house at the time Hassell was shot dead by the officers. Media outlets are reporting Hassell lived at the home with his mother.
At some point during the incident, the state trooper injured his wrist and required medical treatment. McCormick said the sprain was "very minor."
Police were not releasing information about the breaking and entry incident that preceded the shooting. It's unknown if Hassell gained entry into the home, if anything was taken or if anyone was there at the time.
The Livingston County Major Crimes Task Force is investigating the attempted home invasion while the state police are investigating the shooting, McCormick said.
John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.