Michigan sheriff's deputy shot dead in vicious ambush as community recovers from 'heartbreaking' loss

A former Michigan sheriff's deputy was shot and killed in cold blood Saturday night after the cowardly driver of a stolen car jumped out and opened fire without warning, officials said.

Bradley Reckling, a nine-year veteran of Detroit's Oakland County Sheriff's Office and married father of three, spotted the burning car and chased after it — only to be shot and killed when the driver jumped out.

“It was an ambush,” county Sheriff Michael Bouchard said at a press briefing, the Detroit Free Press reported Sunday. “You can just see in the faces and eyes of our people how upsetting this is. »

Reckling, 30, first spotted the 2022 Chevrolet Equinox, which was reported stolen earlier in the day, while on duty in the Detroit suburb of Madison Heights and followed the vehicle all the way. by communicating by radio with headquarters.

Once inside the city, the thugs stopped, suddenly jumped out and opened fire on the police officer, hitting Reckling in the head and chest and fatally wounding him.

“Three suspects have been arrested and more details will be released at a later date,” the sheriff's office said in a Facebook post on Sunday. “Deputy Reckling was a nine-year veteran and a highly valued member of our team.

“He is survived by a loving wife and three beautiful daughters ages 5, 4 and 1, with another child on the way,” the post said. “He was a trusted friend and partner to countless others in our agency. »

The department said it was raising money for Reckling's family through the charity Mission Oakland.

In a statement released Sunday, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said she was “shocked and saddened” by Reckling's death.

“Law enforcement officers risk their lives every day to keep us safe,” McDonald wrote. “This is a senseless killing and a terrible loss for our entire community. This is also another tragedy caused by gun violence, which continues to take a heavy toll on our community.

The McDonald's office did not immediately respond to a request for additional information about the suspects.