Gaylord man fatally shot after Otsego County police pursuit
A 29-year-old Gaylord man was fatally shot by law enforcement after a vehicle pursuit ended in Dover Township early Saturday.
Michigan State Police Gaylord Post trooper stopped a vehicle at about 1:35 a.m. Aug. 22 on South Otsego Avenue near Seventh Street in Gaylord. The driver took off and refused to stop.
An Otsego County Sheriff’s Office deputy later found the vehicle and began a pursuit. The driver hit a state police car and then a tree.
After the crash he exited the vehicle and police shot and killed him. State police said the sheriff’s deputy was not injured.
The Michigan State Police Seventh District Special Investigations Section is investigating the shooting. As of Monday, authorities had not publicly identified the man or the officer who fired. They also had not described what occurred between the crash and shooting.
Federal law on police use of deadly force
The Fourth Amendment limits force used during a stop or arrest to what is objectively reasonable to the officer at the scene. According to the U.S. Supreme Court the severity of the suspected crime, whether the person posed an immediate threat and whether the person was resisting or attempting to flee matters.
The Supreme Court held in Tennessee v. Garner that deadly force may not be used merely to stop someone from escaping. Deadly force may be reasonable when an officer has probable cause to believe the person poses a significant threat of death or serious physical injury to the officer or others.
Michigan Legal Center’s explanation of police brutality and excessive force claims discusses how video, dispatch records, policies and other evidence can affect a civil-rights review.
Get help from Michigan Legal Center
Michigan Legal Center: the Law Offices of Christopher J. Trainor & Associates handles police misconduct, civil rights and wrongful death matters in Michigan.
If you or a family member has questions after a fatal police encounter, contact Michigan Legal Center to ask whether the matter falls within Michigan Legal Center’s practice areas.
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