DETROIT — Michael Lopez received a mandatory life sentence on June 5, 2026, in Wayne County Circuit Court following a jury conviction for murder. Lopez was convicted in April of murdering Melvindale police corporal Mohamed Said and multiple weapons and drug charges.
Judge Bridget Hathaway removed Lopez from the courtroom after he threatened to report her to the Judicial Tenure Commission. Lopez stated, "The JTC will hear about it. They will hear about the injustice you've performed as well. You don't deserve to be sitting up there." As deputies escorted him out, Lopez told Assistant Prosecutor Rana Hadied, "If I was a Muslim man you wouldn't be talking like that. Stay in your place, woman." He was returned five minutes later to hear his sentence.
Prosecutors read victim impact statements from Said's family, including his younger brother who was 7 at the time of the killing. Hadied stated Lopez's attempts at remorse were negated by his actions. Hadied said, "Every time he tries to say he's remorseful, he ruins it with his antics and his lies." Hathaway stated, "The defendant coldly and callously shot Cpl. Said in the head without any justification whatsoever."
Lopez addressed the court for 10 minutes before Hathaway instructed him to conclude. Six deputies surrounded Lopez when he asked about a speaking time limit. He testified he believed Said's Taser was a firearm when he shot him. Lopez stated he recognized Said from a prior traffic stop involving his daughter. Said was fatally shot in late July 2024 after stopping his patrol car to order Lopez to pick up a cigarette butt.