So Embarrassing: Two Michigan Police Precincts Arrested Each Other In An Undercover Mix-Up

I don't know how I missed this story but back in 2017 two police departments in Michigan were each running an undercover sting that ended in pure chaos.

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In November 2017, two Detroit Police Departments made headlines when they arrested each other in a botched undercover operation.

Two Detroit Police Departments Arrested Each Other

The incident occurred when two officers from Detroit's 12th Precinct were posing as drug dealers to arrest buyers.

However, officers from the 11th Precinct, who were unaware of the operation, raided the house and held the undercover officers at gunpoint.

The situation quickly escalated into a brawl between the two precincts, with several officers sustaining minor injuries.

via GIPHY

The incident sparked an internal investigation and raised concerns about the lack of communication between different police departments.

At the time, Detroit Police Chief James Craig acknowledged that the mix-up could have cost lives and emphasized the importance of proper communication and coordination between departments.

This is probably one of the most embarrassing things I've seen in this department - Detroit Police Chief James Craig

Check Out Body Cam Footage From The Undercover Sting Gone Wrong

Things Could Have Taken A Deadly Turn

Thankfully, this was just a really embarrassing incident.

The Detroit Police Department lost an officer in the line of duty back In 1986 when two Detroit police officers were killed in a similar incident.

According to the Officer Down Memorial Page Officer Jack Buffa and Officer Mark Radden were shot and killed in a case of mistaken identity.

Officer Buffa and his partner, who were in plainclothes, were performing a drug raid at a home at 537 E. Euclid around 6 pm.

At the same time as the raid, Officer Radden and his partner, also in plainclothes, were responding to reports of a shooting at the same home.

Neither pair of officers knew the other was at the home and when they encountered each other shots were exchanged. Officer Radden and Officer Buffa were both fatally wounded.