AG Reviews Fatal May 2025 Michigan State Police Shooting in Detroit: Trooper Acted in Self Defense, Defense of Others

LANSING – Today, the Michigan Department of Attorney General announced it has concluded the review of the May 16th, 2025, officer-involved shooting death of Stephen Wangara-Mason, 41, of Detroit. The Department determined that the Michigan State Police Trooper acted in self-defense and defense of others and will not issue charges. It is the policy of the Michigan State Police (MSP) to send all officer involved shootings to the Department of Attorney General for review.

On the evening of May 16th, 2025, an MSP Trooper observed Mason driving in excess of the speed limit southbound on M-10 in Detroit. The Trooper had also learned the vehicle was uninsured, and he initiated a traffic stop. Both Mason and the Trooper exited M-10 at the Wyoming Avenue exit and came to a stop alongside the service road.

While still seated in his vehicle, Mason conceded the insurance had lapsed but produced his vehicular registration. The Trooper lost his grip on the paper registration and it drifted underneath Mason’s vehicle. When invited to exit the vehicle to retrieve his registration, Mason declined to exit the vehicle, stating he did not need the registration. The Trooper then instructed Mason to exit his vehicle. When Mason exited the vehicle, the Trooper asked Mason “What are you reaching for?” at the same moment a previously concealed revolver fell from Mason’s person to the road near both men’s feet. Mason immediately lunged to retrieve the firearm, and the MSP Trooper tried to prevent him from reacquiring the firearm.

A struggle began between the two alongside the service road as multiple cars passed by, while Mason continued his effort to obtain his gun and the Trooper worked to keep Mason from the gun. Mason did obtain the revolver and shot the Trooper three times, twice at point-blank range in the chest and once in the clavicle. The two bullets shot at the Trooper’s chest did not penetrate his body due to his bullet-proof vest, however, each caused bodily injury drawing blood, and the third bullet entered the Trooper’s upper torso and later required surgical extraction.

Despite the three gunshot injuries, the Trooper continued to struggle against Mason for control of his revolver as Mason continued his attempts to shoot and kill the Trooper. Mason maintained, for a time, a grip upon the Trooper’s righthand wrist preventing the Trooper from accessing his service pistol. The Trooper was able to overcome the efforts of Mason against his wrist, unholstered his service pistol, and shot Mason three times, killing him instantly. Until his death, Mason never ceased his attempts to kill the Trooper and still gripped the revolver in his right hand when the fatal shooting occurred.

Under MSP policy, all officer-involved shootings are assigned to investigators from a different district than where the incident occurred. This investigation was conducted by the Detroit Police Department Homicide Task Force with the assistance of the MSP 2nd District Special Investigation Section who then referred to matter the Department of Attorney General.  

Attorneys at the Department of Attorney General reviewed video footage from the patrol car and body-worn camera of the responding MSP Trooper and his vehicle, Detroit Police Department and MSP reports, Wayne County Medical Examiner autopsy report, witness statements and interviews, and other material.

The Department of Attorney General review concluded the Trooper’s initial traffic stop of Mason and subsequent request that he exit his vehicle were each lawful, and that the use of deadly force was a justified exercise of self-defense and defense of others. 

The legal issue in this case was whether the MSP Trooper acted in a lawful manner during their interaction with Mason when they used deadly force by discharging their weapon. Law enforcement officers have the same privilege of self-defense as anyone else. Shooting a gun in self-defense requires an honest and reasonable belief that an officer is in danger of being killed or seriously injured. If that person’s belief was honest and reasonable, they can act immediately to defend themselves. Under Michigan law, a police officer, because of his or her duty and responsibility to protect the public, is not required to retreat in the face of a display of force. An officer’s decision about the level of force necessary to control an individual will be based on the officer’s perception of the threat and the subject’s apparent ability to carry out that threat. Furthermore, this Department is prohibited by law from issuing criminal charges in cases where it cannot prove the use of deadly force to be unjustified.

Here, under all of the facts and circumstances presented, the Department concluded the MSP Trooper acted in self-defense.

The Department of Attorney General is available to lead or support any investigation of an officer-involved shooting at the request of any county prosecutor or law enforcement agency within the state and today renews this commitment and offer. 

The full report prepared by the Department of Attorney General detailing this incident and assessing the applicable laws can be reviewed here (PDF). A PowerPoint presentation produced by the Department of Attorney General for the purposes of this department’s review, which contains still-shot extractions from the dashcam and body-worn camera and a detailed accounting of the incident under review is available here (PDF).

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