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Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said today that she has asked the Michigan State Police to investigate the fatal police shooting of a 7-year-old Detroit girl.

Aiyana Jones was shot and killed by a Detroit police officer during a raid on an east side home early Sunday morning at a house on Lillibridge.

“On Sunday, I was approached by the Detroit Police Department about having an outside agency investigate the fatal shooting death of 7-year-old Aiyana Jones,” Worthy said in a statement today. “I agree that it is most appropriate that this be done independently. I have contacted the Michigan State Police and they have consented to investigate this matter. The Detroit Police Department will cooperate fully with the investigation."

Worthy stressed that her office will still review the case after the state police investigation.

Police spokesman John Roach said the department agrees that an independent agency should conduct the investigation "from the standpoint of public confidence."

The investigation will most likely include a focus on why the police used a flash-bang grenade device, which is typically used in highly volatile situations -- such as disorienting a barricaded gunman so that police can enter and stop a threat.

Roach said that officers received intelligence that a murder suspect was in the house and that there might have been weapons inside as well.

"That was the reason for the use of a flash bang," he said, adding that the device's use is the subject of an internal review.

Aiyana was shot in the head after police entered the home, according to police and witnesses. Roach said the girl's grandmother made physical contact with one of the officers, but the nature of the contact isn't yet clear.

Police say the officer's gun accidentally discharged. That officer is on administrative leave pending the investigation.

Roach has said that a film crew with A&E’s “The First 48” was taping with officers from the police department’s special response team during the incident.

An A&E spokesman declined comment today on the matter.

Ron Scott of the Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality today called for the officers involved to be immediately fired and prosecuted in Aiyana's death.

He also said sources are telling him using a flash-bang in such a situation was highly unusual.

“We've never heard of this happening,” Scott said of using a stun grenade to make a homicide arrest. "I think there needs to be some serious look at policy in relation to how this situation happened."

Scott also called having the TV crew tag along on the raid "unfortunate," and said that may have added to the danger for civilians and the police.

AZGrizFan wrote:While it says the gun discharged accidentally, I just don't get it: How do you have the WRONG HOUSE??? Are there not house numbers on the sidewalk? Or the mailbox? Or the porch?

Skjellyfetti wrote:It was a duplex. The murder suspect was in the other apartment in the same building. I read it last night and don't have the article offhand, but it shouldn't be too hard to google.

AZGrizFan wrote:

Skjellyfetti wrote:It was a duplex. The murder suspect was in the other apartment in the same building. I read it last night and don't have the article offhand, but it shouldn't be too hard to google.

slightly more understandable, but damn....you'd better be making damned sure you got the right place before you go busting in.

Ursus A. Horribilis wrote:

AZGrizFan wrote:
slightly more understandable, but damn....you'd better be making damned sure you got the right place before you go busting in.

Amen to that and it kind of goes hand in hand with what I had said previously on this subject. Can these teams not find a way to try and do this when the possibility of innocents are not gonna be part of the potential target range? It would seem like it would make it safer for the officers and all innocents involved.

Rob Iola wrote:Um, I kinda side with the police on this one - you've got a cold-blooded murderer being sheltered by his fiance with his stuff strewn about - basically the whole family knew he was there and appeared to be sheltering him, especially if grandma was fighting the cops. What did they expect, and what the hell were they thinking? This is akin to terrorists hiding behind civilians.

At least the media was there from start to finish and will be able to show exactly what happened.

Grizo406 wrote:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37191818/ns ... ?GT1=43001