PO Loren Courts
Officer: Detroit Police Department, Police Officer Loren Courts
Date: 7/6/2022 Location: Detroit, MI FACTORS (1,2,4,5,7,8,15,19,21)
Perpetrator(s) Involved: Ehamani Mack Davis
Criminal Activity History/Involved: Yes, Davis had 10-12 negative interactions with the police in the past three years, including pleading guilty to misdemeanor weapons possession in 2021,being charged with disturbing the peace during a May 30, 2022 domestic dispute and illegally possessing a weapon during a June 21, 2022 shooting incident. / Yes, Davis was randomly shooting a Draco 7.62mm semi-automatic pistol which he illegally possessed.
Mental Illness: Detroit’s Police Chief believes the “suspect had a death wish” and “wanted to commit suicide by cop.”
Substance Abuse History/Involved: Unknown. / None stated.
Race/Sex/Age: Black/Male/19
What prompted the initial contact with the killer? At around 7:30 p.m. on July 6, 2022, Detroit police officers responded to a 911 call of shots fired in the area. Officers Loren Courts and his partner Amanda Hudgens were among the first to arrive in the area in less than 10 minutes. Unbeknownst to the officers, Ehamani Davis was the subject shooting a semi-automatic pistol that resembled a stockless AK-47 rifle, from inside a building out of their view.
Actions taken by subject toward police: From his vantage point on an upper floor in a building, Davis observed the patrol vehicle arrive and shot at the officers inside it, striking PO Courts in the neck while he was still in the driver’s seat.
Reactions by the police: Officers Courts and Hudgens bailed from the vehicle to find cover, but Officer Courts was struck in an artery and quickly collapsed. PO Hudgens rendered immediate trauma care, applying pressure to stop the bleeding as Davis exited the building and walked towards the two officers to finish them off. Before Davis got the chance, four other responding officers successfully shot Davis dead. PO Courts was rushed to a hospital where he was tragically declared dead.
How murdered? PO Courts was ambushed upon responding to a 911 call of shots being fired in the area.
What could have been done differently for the officer to still be alive? The officers responded properly, it was the criminal justice system which failed and should have done things differently. Despite “not complying with the terms of his probation”, Davis was released from it’s terms in April 2022. Another missed opportunity to incarcerate Davis occurred when he was involved in a June 2022 weapons related incident but the warrant request to arrest him for it was still awaiting a judge’s signature.
Would the officer have been justified to use deadly force before being murdered? NA, PO courts was ambushed and fatally shot before he ever saw the suspect.
Outcome for the cop-killer: Davis was justifiably shot dead by the other officers.
