Dozens of mourners pay respects at Detroit church to girl, 7, fatally shot during police raid

Funeral today at Detroit church for slain girl

DETROIT — Dozens of people have lined up at a Detroit church to pay respects to a 7-year-old Detroit girl accidentally shot to death by police during a raid on her home.

Anthony Givens of Detroit says he knows Aiyana Stanley-Jones’ family and last saw her on Mother’s Day when he paid the family a brief visit. He says Aiyana was laughing and playing with her brothers.

Givens says he’s disappointed by the sharp disagreement over how Aiyana died and thinks the focus should be on her funeral and burial.

Police say Aiyana was shot Sunday when an officer’s gun discharged inside the house after he was jostled by, or collided with, her grandmother.

An attorney for her family has filed two lawsuits and claims the shot was fired from outside.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

DETROIT (AP) — Michigan State Police spent six hours searching for evidence at the Detroit home where an officer shot a 7-year-old girl to death during a raid.

The Detroit Free Press reports that Police Capt. Harold Love said his investigators visited the duplex Wednesday to investigate what happened early Sunday when Aiyana Stanley-Jones was killed by a police officer’s bullet.

The report says police found two stolen vehicles in the backyard.

Detroit police officers had been hunting for a murder suspect during Sunday’s raid. They arrested 34-year-old Chauncey Owens and arraigned him on a first-degree murder charge.

Police say Stanley-Jones’ shooting death was accidental.

The family’s attorney, Geoffrey Fieger, says he doubts state police can investigate the death impartially.

Information from: Detroit Free Press, www.freep.com