DETROIT — A Wayne County judge has sentenced Michael Lopez to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the fatal shooting of 26-year-old Melvindale Police Corporal Mohamed Said in the line of duty in July 2024.

The sentence follows Lopez’s conviction last month on charges of first-degree premeditated murder, along with multiple felony offenses, including weapons violations and possession of controlled substances, including methamphetamine and cocaine.

Lopez, a Southfield resident with a lengthy criminal history, shot and killed Said, a Yemeni American officer,  on July 21, 2024, after the officer attempted to stop him near the intersection of Clarence and Oakwood Boulevard in Melvindale following a neighborhood complaint. Said was fatally wounded during a foot pursuit after Lopez opened fire. Lopez  fled the scene and was arrested the following day.

Court records show that Lopez had previously served prison time for offenses that included assaulting, resisting and obstructing a police officer, resulting in injuries to law enforcement personnel. He was released from prison in 2022 and removed from court supervision only about one month before the fatal shooting.

Emotional courtroom confrontation

The June 5 sentencing hearing was marked by repeated disruptions and heated exchanges that led Judge Bridget Hathaway to order Lopez temporarily removed from the courtroom.

During the proceedings, Lopez accused Hathaway of treating him unfairly and threatened to file a complaint with the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission. He also criticized Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor Rana Hadid, claiming that neither woman deserved her position.

As deputies escorted him from the courtroom, Lopez directed racist and misogynistic remarks toward Hadid.

“If I were Muslim, you wouldn’t talk to me this way,” he said. “Stay in your place, woman.”

Lopez was later returned to the courtroom under heavy security, accompanied by six court officers, to hear the final sentence.

Melvindale Police Corporal Mohamed Said

Defense claim rejected by evidence

Throughout the proceedings, Lopez maintained that he did not commit premeditated murder, claiming he feared for his life during the encounter.

According to his testimony, the confrontation began when Said asked him to pick up a cigarette butt and escalated into a chase and deployment of a Taser. Lopez claimed he mistakenly believed the Taser was a firearm and fired in self-defense.

However, body camera footage presented at trial showed that Said never drew his service weapon and was unarmed at the time he was shot. The video also captured the officer attempting to calm Lopez by telling him, “We’re good” moments before Lopez fired the fatal shot to his head.

Family remembers fallen officer

Before sentencing, Hadid read victim impact statements from Said’s family.

In a letter to the court, Said’s mother described the loss of her son as something that “destroyed her heart and her life.”

“No mother should have to bury her son,” she wrote.

His brother, Ahmed Said, spoke about the continuing trauma and grief experienced by the family.

“Our lives didn’t just change; they stopped being lives,” he said. “I am not living. I am simply existing.”

Following the sentencing, Corporal Said’s uncle, Dave Said, said justice had been served and stressed the importance of protecting law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line every day.

The city of Melvindale has honored Corporal Said’s legacy by naming an elementary school after him in recognition of his service and sacrifice.

Mohamed Said was posthumously promoted to the rank of corporal following his death. Earlier this year, Ahmed Said joined the Melvindale Police Department, continuing the family’s commitment to public service and carrying forward his brother’s legacy.