Ionia County Deputy Shoots Driver of Stolen Vehicle

An Ionia County sheriff deputy had a wild ride this Wednesday morning that ended with him shooting the driver of a stolen vehicle.

Typically things are pretty quiet in Ionia County early in the morning but that wasn't the case shortly before 5:30 a.m. Wednesday morning when a car chase began that went across three counties before ending.

According to WOOD, Michigan State Police say the driver of a stolen vehicle was shot and killed by an Ionia County sheriff's deputy in Eaton County. The shooting took place near W. Grand Ledge Highway on Charlotte Street in a town called Mulliken that is located in Eaton County.

The police chase ran through three different Michigan counties. What started as a chase that began in Ionia County, quickly moved to Clinton County and wound up ending in Eaton County. The sheriff deputy and the driver of the stolen vehicle both collided near the end of the chase.

The MSP didn't mention what led to the chase or whether it was a routine traffic stop or if the deputy spotted the stolen vehicle.

After the two vehicles collided, somewhere after that is when the deputy fired his weapon and killed the suspect who was driving the stolen vehicle. The deputy was not injured during the incident.

The name of the deputy and suspect have yet to be released.

There is still an investigation that is going on with Michigan State Police detectives. They are trying to determine if there was cause for the deputy to fire his weapon or not.

The MSP did say the deputy had worked for the Ionia County Sheriff's Office for 2 years. The deputy has since been put on administrative leave until the investigation has been completed.

There was a couple that lived nearby where the shooting took place who heard the gunshots so they rushed to the scene where police had everything under control. When they returned to their home they noticed a bullet hole in their porch.