Man, 37, shot and killed, officer wounded during confrontation in north Lansing

LANSING – Police responding to a domestic abuse incident shot and killed a man Tuesday night after the man emerged from a house with a firearm and began shooting at officers, police said.

A Lansing police officer suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the leg during the incident, which began around 8:30 p.m. in the 900 block of North Walnut Street.

The officer was in stable condition at a local hospital, Lansing Police Chief Daryl Green said.

Michigan State Police identified the man who died as Jason Jesse Gallegos, 37, of Lansing.

Officers responded to a call about a man who was under "mental distress" and had possibly assaulted someone, Green said. The man also reportedly fired a weapon inside the house before police arrived, the chief said.

Officers made contact with the man and negotiated with him for a time before the man stepped out of the house with one, or possibly two firearms, and fired at least one round, Green said on Tuesday night.

In a news release Wednesday, state police said the man stepped out of the house with a firearm and "began to shoot at officers." Officers returned fire, striking the man, the release said.

Six officers were involved in the confrontation, police said, although it was unclear how many of them fired their weapons or how many shots were fired.

All of those officers will be placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation by Michigan State Police, Green said.

"We appreciate the assistance of our community, and we hope that the community will allow us and the Michigan State Police to conduct this investigation as fair and transparent as possible."

The injured officer is a 7-year veteran and a member of the tactical team, Green said.

"He's in good spirits, doing well," the chief said.

No one else was shot, although a woman was taken to a hospital with undisclosed injuries, he said. Police are asking that anyone with information about the incident contact state police, he added. 

Dozens of police vehicles were staged in the area where the shooting occurred on North Walnut, just south of West Kilborn street.

Police taped off a section of North Walnut between West Kilborn and West Oakland Avenue and blocked off streets.

State police and officers from the Lansing Township, Michigan State University and Lansing Community College police departments also helped at the scene.

Contact Ken Palmer at (517) 377-1032 or kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBPalm_lsj.