Officer Mason Samborski (pictured, right), 28, of Howell died from a gunshot wound to hishead during a struggle at an apartment complex about 12:30 a.m. Sunday,authorities said.**
Samborski had taken 16-year-old Jonathan Belton of Detroit to the RueVersailles apartment complex at 10 Mile and Greenfield roads to turnBelton over to an adult relative following the traffic stop, policesaid.
Several police departments joined Oak Park police insearching for Belton most of Sunday before Belton turned himself in,accompanied by his father and pastor, at a police station in northwestDetroit about 4 p.m. He was later taken to the Oak Park Public Safetyoffices.
Oak Park Public Safety Director John McNeilance said Belton could face murder charges as early as today.
“This is a devastating thing to have happen to the department and really the whole community,” a visibly shaken McNeilance said.
Samborski,who had been with the department for four years, is survived by hiswife and child. McNeilance said Samborski regularly worked a 7 p.m.-7a.m. shift.
“I was very saddened when I got the call early inthe morning,” Oak Park Mayor Gerald Naftaly said. Samborski “was veryyoung. One of our former public safety directors used to say there isno such thing as a routine traffic stop. …”
Funeral arrangements are pending at Keehn Funeral Home in Brighton.
**Samborski pulled him over because he looked too young to be driving -and found that Belton didn’t have a license. He took Belton to anapartment complex to find his guardian – and took a bullet for histroubles – leaving his wife a widow and daughter to grow up without afather.