Detroit police chief forced to speak out after "kill all police" graffiti spreads throughout Detroit

Detroit — Detroit Police Chief James Craig addressed a personal threat to his life on Friday afternoon. Craig spoke to reporters in response a graffiti message found in the area of W. State Fair Ave. and John R. St. reading “Kill All Police, Kill James Craig.” Craig said the message was noticed by patrol officers sometime Thursday night. “Is it troubling? Absolutely. Do we take it serious? Yes we do,” Craig said. “Given the environment that we’re in today, we don’t take threats lightly. Any time you threaten a Detroit police officer — and now the Detroit Police Chief — that’s a threat on all of us.” Craig said that personal threats are not something that “you want to wake up” and learn about. He offered a message of his own to the culprit.

“Just know this — I will not be deterred,” Craig said. ” Whatever your motives or reasons for that, we will continue to do what we do, we will continue to fight this fight…we will continue to reduce violent crime in the city of Detroit, regardless of what idle threats individuals might make.” The department is investigating the threat, including looking at possible nearby surveillance video footage. Craig said the owner of the building has painted over the message. “The coward that did this, just know, it’s a matter of time — we’ll find you,” Craig said. Craig said that whomever tagged the message might be looking at felony terrorist threat charges. “Cowards, cowards. There’s only one thing to say,” Craig said. “Not one of them would do the job that our men and women in blue would do. We run toward gunfire, they run away. They’re cowards, they hide behind their basements of their parents’ home in some instances. “We’ll find them, we always do,” Craig said.