Wife of fatally shot Detroit Police Officer Loren Courts: I'm 'completely heartbroken'
In a heartfelt social media post, the widow of slain Detroit Police Officer Loren Courts said early Thursday that "yesterday my husband, my children’s father was killed in the line of duty for Detroit police department," calling him their Batman.
Courts, who officials praised and mourned as a real-life hero, was gunned down Wednesday evening while on the job near Joy Road and Marlowe Street, was pronounced dead at Sinai-Grace Hospital.
"We lost a hero today," Detroit Police Chief James White said, adding the police department and the city "is grieving." He also decried gun violence in the city and nationwide.
Courts' name was not released by authorities, but by Thursday morning it was circulating on social media, including in a Facebook post by Wayne County Executive Warren Evans, and statements from others.
"As a former Chief of the Detroit Police Department," Evans wrote, "I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Officer Loren Courts, who was fatally wounded in the line of duty."
Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield called Courts' "untimely death" tragic and and an "unimaginable loss," noting that he "set out to protect and serve" and "we are humbled by his bravery and heroism."
In a statement, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel offered her condolences, adding: "May we honor and remember him as a hero and recognize the sacrifice those in law enforcement make on a daily basis to protect our communities."
Courts' widow, Kristine Courts, posted to Facebook:
"I write this not for you to say I’m so sorry but because this man was so much more than a police officer," calling her husband, "an amazing dad, my best friend and the man I married."
"I can’t begin to imagine how we are going to live without him. My babies need him. I need him. I keep thinking I’m going to wake up from this nightmare and he’s going to come home."
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Courts said she was "completely heartbroken" and she and her children "will never be the same. I already miss his hugs, his voice, his jokes, and his smile with those eyes. Rest In Peace daddy, we will never stop loving you."
Retired Detroit Police Chief, James Craig, recalled Thursday when he pinned Courts five years ago.
“This is another tragedy for one of our heroes, and what I consider as a family member of mine," he told the Detroit Free Press. “This happens too often, more often today than I've seen throughout my entire policing career.”
White, who called the officer's death tragic, said the officer had been in the department for five years and came from a long line of Detroit police officers. His father, White said, is a recently retired Detroit officer.
Mayor Mike Duggan added that there is too much violence in the city and country, and he wants to do whatever he can to support the officer's family.
"I just spent time with the family, who described our fallen officer as somebody who had a calling for the community and was doing what he loved," Duggan said. "We owe a debt of gratitude to all the officers out there working, and tonight we have an officer and a family with a debt that can never be repaid."
White added that "violence against police officers is just outrageous," and it was difficult to notify the officer's family about his death, calling it "the worst day of their lives" because, "dad's not coming home. A husband is not coming home."
Free Press staff writer Emma Stein contributed to this report. Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Wife of Detroit Police Officer Loren Courts shares emotional goodbye
