Advertisement

Undercover cops brawl after mistaking each other for suspects in drugs bust

The two precincts did not communicate what they were doing: Getty
The two precincts did not communicate what they were doing: Getty

A mix up at a suspected drug house in Detroit led to police officers to fight one another, but they weren’t really aware that the fight was a cop-on-cop brawl.

Footage of the incident, caught on body cameras worn by the officers, shows the mixup and ensuing chaos. Officers from one precinct arrive at the home with a warrant, while officers from a different precinct and without a warrant also show up.

The tension eventually erupted between the two groups, even though one officer can clearly be heard saying they have a warrant. The group without a warrant apparently hadn’t bothered telling anyone what they were planning on getting up to.

“This is probably one of the most embarrassing things i’ve seen in this department since i’ve been appointed as chief,” Detroit Police Department Chief James Craig said during a press conference following the incident. “In fact, I’d have to tell you it’s probably one of the most disappointing things iv’e experienced in my entire 40 year career.”

At least two of the officers involved in the brawl were inured last week, when the separate stings took place.

The incident started when undercover cops from one of the precincts pretending to sell marijuana were waiting for customers on a street corner. As they waited for their customers, the other undercover operations officer arrived and ordered the two to the ground.

The rest of officers raided a drug house and den, where they encountered one another. Weapons were then drawn, and police officers then began to physically punch one another. One cop was put into a headlock.

The homeowner simply stood and watched the brawl.

“You’ve gotta have to have more communication, I guess,” a resident told Fox 2 Detroit. “I don’t understand what happened about that — communicate.”

One of the officers received an eye injury. Another was treated for an injury to his lip.