(CBS DETROIT) — The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office announced Wednesday that it would not file charges against the city of Wayne police officers in the fatal shooting of 40-year-old John Zook Jr., concluding that the officers acted in self-defense.
Zook was shot and killed on June 18, 2024after authorities said he didn’t listen to officers’ commands and approached them with a knife. Zook, who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, told officers he had stopped taking his medications, the prosecutor’s office said.
Police say a Taser was used before the shooting. Zook’s four-year-old child was in the home at the time and was unharmed.
“The officers did not use deadly force until Mr. Zook objectively posed an imminent threat to their safety when he approached them after unsuccessfully attempting to use a Taser to disarm him,” the prosecutor’s office said. “The facts and evidence in this case demonstrate that the shooting was justified and that the officers acted in lawful self-defense under Michigan law.”
Police responded to the 35000 block of West Michigan Avenue in Wayne for a reported suicide attempt. Police say Zook was the one who called 911. Two responding officers approached the home and encountered Zook, who was reportedly holding a knife.
Prosecutors say the officers repeatedly ordered Zook to drop the knife for about 15 seconds before telling him he would be tased. Zook then began walking toward the officers, prompting one of them to use the Taser; However, prosecutors say it had no effect.
Officials say a second officer pulled out his Taser while pointing his gun and fired both when Zook refused to drop the knife and moved closer to the officers. Zook was shot four times while still holding the knife, according to prosecutors. Investigators found he had 54 stab wounds to his neck, chest and abdomen.
“At the time officers used force, they objectively knew that Mr. Zook was armed with a knife, which would legally be considered a dangerous weapon. Mr. Zook was apparently actively suffering from a mental health crisis, did not act rationally, and merely attempted suicide. He did not respond to commands while armed and standing a short distance from the officers. They also knew that Mr. Zook’s young child was in the apartment with him, the prosecutor’s office said. “In Michigan, police officers have the same right to self-defense and defense of others as any other person.”
