Police sought Gabriel Hood for months

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - The man shot to death by a Grand Rapids police officer Thursday was released from prison in February 2008 and given a two-year parole, but was wanted by police at the time of his death.

Gabriel Hood, 33, died a short time after allegedly fleeing from a traffic stop and brandishing a gun. Hood would have completed his parole last month, but he was labeled an absconder for failing to report to his parole officer in November 2009.

In 1994, Hood had a felony armed robbery in Detroit, and then in 1996 faced a homicide charge in Detroit. That was dropped to another armed robbery. In 2005, he faced a felony drug charge in Grand Rapids, and last year faced a charge of retail fraud in Walker and a misdemeanor domestic violence charge in Kent County.

The last time Grand Rapids police spotted Hood was after he allegedly had a verbal altercation with a man on Oct. 22, 2009. He also allegedly flashed a gun at that man, who called 911. Police looked for him in a Chevy Avalanche, and when they stopped him, he fled on foot.

Inside the Avalanche, police found less than 50 grams each of cocaine and heroin, and a handgun.

An arrest warrant for Hood lists several counts of drug charges, a count of carrying a concealed weapon, a felony firearms possession and a habitual offender notice. But he was never found or formally charged.

Until Thursday.

He was driving a moped and was pulled over for a traffic violation. Events escalated and a few minutes later he was dead.