Dearborn police station shooting: New details about man killed by officer, how it happened

When a man entered a Dearborn police station and pointed a gun at an officer a week ago Sunday, there was bullet-resistant glass between them, but that wasn’t enough to prevent bloodshed.

Ali Naji, 33 — who is believed to have struggled with mental illness — walked into the lobby of the Dearborn Police Department that afternoon with a stolen 9mm pistol and looked around before an officer in a nearby room entered the lobby, according to Michigan State Police. That's when, according to police, Naji pointed the gun at the officer and pulled the trigger — but the gun malfunctioned, never firing.

The Dearborn police officer opened a sliding door in the bullet-resistant window and fatally shot Naji multiple times, First Lt. Mike Shaw, a spokesperson for Michigan Sate Police, told the Free Press.

There is no true bullet-proof glass, Shaw said, only bullet-resistant products that do not provide full protection.

Various glass manufacturers confirm that several 9mm rounds can ultimately penetrate many types of bullet-resistant glass.

Attorney Amir Makled, retained by Naji's family, has acknowledged the threat Naji posed when he pointed the gun at the officer. But Makled argues the killing could have been avoided with proper implementation of police deescalation protocols.

"Officers are trained to and should be skilled at recognizing mental health crises. The deceased was not in a state to know right from wrong," Makled said.

"At what point did police know that there was someone in the lobby with a firearm? Did they give (Naji) the opportunity and time to comply with the demands of law enforcement? At what point were law enforcement in immediate threat if there's bullet-proof glass? This is what we're trying to find out."

Makled described Naji as a lifelong Dearborn resident who graduated from Fordson High School, loved soccer, and had a bright future ahead of him. He worked as a barber and was hoping to live a productive life with his family. He was recently married, and his wife is pregnant, Makled said.

Naji came from a Lebanese family. He was very family-oriented, Makled said.

"They stick together," he said. "They're very devastated. All the comments I've gotten from his family was that Ali was a loving and caring husband. Ali was a loving and caring son to his parents. A loving and caring brother to his two sisters and brother."

Makled emphasized that he and the family are demanding more information regarding Naji's killing and are also demanding state police release video of the incident.

Shaw said the video will not be released while the investigation is pending.

On social media, family members have been mourning Naji while also demanding justice and answers. Cyril Hall, another attorney on the case, described Naji's killing as a civil rights case.

"The victim’s civil rights were immediately violated when the police officer fired his gun without, apparently, any consideration to de-escalate the situation. The killing of our client’s loved one was unnecessary, and we believe the entire confrontation could have been brought to a non-lethal close," Hall said.

"We need to determine if officers first failed to explore other options before resorting to fatal force. The officers involved had a duty to de-escalate this very fluid situation and give Mr. Naji the time, opportunity, and space to put down his firearm. If the firearm did In fact malfunction, then clearly the imminent threat no longer existed.”

When asked if the Dearborn police officer considered a non-lethal response to Naji's actions, Shaw disagreed with the Naji family's attorneys, saying the officer did not have the opportunity.

Investigators continue to review evidence on the scene, including video evidence, and have spoken to witnesses, Shaw said.

Andrea Sahouri covers criminal justice for the Detroit Free Press. She can be contacted at 313-264-0442, asahouri@freepress.com or on Twitter @andreamsahouri.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dearborn police station shooting: Details about man killed by officer