Detroit, MI – One person is dead and another was hospitalized Wednesday afternoon after Detroit police say the pair were attempting to steal copper from an abandoned school building when one of them was electrocuted.
Officers were initially dispatched around 3 p.m. to the area of Brainard Street and 3rd Avenue near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard after reports of an explosion or possible pipe bomb. When police arrived, investigators quickly determined the incident was not an explosion but instead a severe electrical shock tied to suspected utility theft.
Police say a man and a woman had entered the abandoned building and were attempting to remove copper wiring when one of them came into contact with a live electrical line. The person was electrocuted at the scene and pronounced dead.
The second individual was also shocked during the incident but survived and was transported to a nearby hospital. Authorities say that person is expected to recover.
Detroit Police Deputy Chief Franklin Hayes warned that copper theft can be extremely dangerous, noting that the wires involved can carry massive amounts of electricity.
“For those that may be thinking about the very dangerous decision of utility theft to steal copper wire, this is what happens,” Hayes said at the scene. “These wires can be live with thousands of watts going through them.”
Police have not yet confirmed whether the man or woman involved in the incident is the person who died as they work to notify family members.
Investigators also noted that officers have previously responded to the abandoned building for unlawful entry in the past.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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- NMD Staff
Staff@NewMediaDetroit.com