BATTLE CREEK, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — A Battle Creek man is in the hospital in serious condition, and two Battle Creek Police officers are on paid leave after the officers shot the man.
The incident started around 2 p.m. Sunday when police responded to the 200 block of North Birdsall Drive in Bedford Township where a woman reported that her boyfriend assaulted her. The 22-year-old Battle Creek man left the area before officers arrived.
Police determined there was enough probable cause to arrest the man, and tried to find him.
At about 10:30 p.m. Sunday, the same woman called 911 again and reported the man returned, was making suicidal statements, and had a knife.
Three Battle Creek officers near the area on an unrelated call responded to Birdsall, and heard yelling coming from the backyard of the home. Officers found the man and woman arguing, and two other people were present.
As officers came closer to investigate, the man pulled from his waistband what appeared to be a dark-colored handgun.
Officers told the man to drop the gun. At the same time, fearing for the safety of everyone present, two of the officers fired their Police Department-issued guns and struck the man twice in the torso. The man dropped his gun and fell to the ground. Police also took two knives from the man.
The officers gave the man first aid care, and a police supervisor took the man to a local hospital for treatment.
As is police protocol in these cases, the department placed the two officers on paid leave, pending the outcome of the investigation. One of the officers has two years of experience, and one has 10 years of experience.
The Michigan State Police will take over investigation of the case, which is also standard practice.
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