A dog is dead and a Detroit police officer is injured after police stopped to investigate vehicles blocking the roadway on Tuesday, Dec. 23.

Officers from the 6th Precinct were responding to a ShotSpotter report in the 14400 block of Rockdale Street at approximately 9 p.m. when they encountered two vehicles blocking the road, according to a statement from Detroit Police Department on Wednesday, Dec. 24.

One of the vehicles was discovered to be wanted out of Livonia. As officers approached the wanted vehicle, a dog jumped out of it in the direction of the officers and the driver fled the location, according to DPD.

“The dog charged towards the officers and began to attack one officer,” according to DPD. “The officer fired shots to stop the dog from attacking them and accidentally struck himself in the foot.”

More: Could Detroit end minor police stops?

The officer was treated at a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He is out of the hospital as of Wednesday evening. The dog is dead.

Review of body-worn camera and camera assets in the area determined the driver, who was wanted by Southfield police, attempted to stop the dog from jumping out of the vehicle, according to DPD. The driver was arrested and taken into custody by Southfield police.

“Detroit Police Department is not pursuing charges on the driver as we do not believe the driver intentionally threw the dog at our officers,” according to DPD.

Contact Natalie Davies at ndavies@freepress.com.

• Detroit Sandwich Week is an annual event supporting local restaurants during the slow week between Christmas and New Year’s.
• The tradition was started a dozen years ago by local food enthusiast Carlos Parisi to bolster small businesses.
• This year’s event features seven stops over five days at various delis, restaurants, and wine bars in and around Detroit.

After Thursday’s Christmas holiday, it’s time to get ready for what’s become an annual tasty Detroit event.

This Friday starts the week sandwiched between Christmas and New Year’s.

And in Detroit, that means it’s time to get ready for what’s become a Detroit tradition, founded by a Detroiter: Detroit Sandwich Week.

The annual Detroit Sandwich Week celebrates five days and seven events of sandwiches at local restaurants.

It’s been a dozen years since local sandwich and overall food enthusiast Carlos Parisi came up with the idea of Detroit Sandwich Week to help support local businesses during a slow time.

Doing so also allowed Parisi to take sandwiches to another level.

“It’s beautiful because what Sandwich Week has done is given me a chance and an opportunity to do so much more,” Parisi said. “I started a podcast and was able to host TV shows and now the sandwich party, the Detroit sandwich party, which is insanely successful. It all stems from sandwich week.”

Parisi is also the owner and founder of Aunt Nee’s, whose products include Detroit-made tortilla chips, salsa and guacamole sold at Eastern Market and several metro Detroit stores.

Detroit Sandwich Week started out while Parisi worked at a corporate job. During the holiday season, Parisi and others were able to take longer lunch hours and got the idea to help support local businesses during the period between Christmas and New Year’s.

While over the years the event grew, it’s stayed true to its mission of supporting local businesses. Each year, the event typically draws hundreds of people to stop in a select group of sandwich shops.

Parisi said that while Sandwich Week was something he first started with friends, it’s now taken on a life of its own.

“It’s really cool because in the lexicon of Detroit, you hear other people say sandwich week,” he said. “That’s so amazing because we know that what that means is, it’s the week between the two holidays where we go and support small business. And celebrate it by eating sandwiches.”

Events this year include a ticketed dinner and the final Detroit Sandwich Week party.

More: Free Press food writer tries 7-Eleven’s Japanese Egg Salad sandwich

More: Fast casual Detroit-based Breadless is franchising

This year’s Detroit Sandwich Week kicks off noon-3 p.m. Friday at Mudgie’s Deli & Wine Shop on Brooklyn Street in Corktown.

Founded by the late Greg Mudge, the famed Corktown spot is known for its hearty sandwiches piled with fresh-cut meats and cheese, soups and its wine shop. Mudge, who died in September 2021, name is now officially on a secondary street sign above the Brooklyn Street sign in Corktown.

(FOX 2) – The holidays are a busy time for everyone.

And that includes Detroit Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield, who is spending the end of 2025 looking forward to her first 100 days in 2026 when she takes over as the city’s first new leader in more than a decade.

Mary Sheffield 1-on-1

Sheffield has spent her preparatory time ahead of taking over as mayor with departments as she gets ready to oversee Michigan’s biggest city.

Speaking from the Marygrove Conservancy on Detroit’s west side, she told FOX 2 residents can expect a focus on issues around poverty and housing.

“You will see coming out of the first hundred days some very bold action items and initiatives and offices that will be formed; elevating the issue of homelessness and housing,” she said, “and even the social issues that still plague Detroit around poverty.”

Dig deeper:

Sheffield also said the age of contrasts between downtown and the neighborhoods should end, agreeing with her predecessor it created an ‘us vs. them’ mentality.

“It’s not productive to continue a dialogue of us vs them or downtown vs the neighborhoods,” she said. “In order for Detroit to thrive, and in order for us to be a world-class city, we do need a thriving downtown, but that does not have to be at the expense of our neighborhoods.”

In addition to housing, crime will be another focus of her administration. 

The city is coming off one of its lowest violent crime numbers in six decades in 2025.