MSP: Officers shoot at truck in chase near Buchanan

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Troopers say a deputy and a police officer fired at a suspect vehicle during a Berrien County chase, but nobody was hurt.

It happened around 7 a.m. Tuesday in Buchanan Township, on the 15000 block of Lakeview Drive near Clear Lake, according to a release from the Michigan State Police.

Troopers say there was a complaint of an erratic driver in the Buchanan area. An officer with the Buchanan Police Department found the vehicle, a Chevy pickup truck, and tried to stop it, but the vehicle fled, sparking a chase, according to the release.

Police then learned the pickup truck had been reported stolen out of Niles Township, MSP says. As the chase continued, a Berrien County Sheriff’s Office deputy joined.

Troopers say the officers followed the suspect — described as a 33-year-old man with ties to the Benton Harbor and Elkhart areas — down a dead end road, and as they tried to stop and arrest the suspect, he backed up and hit both police vehicles. During the crash, troopers say both the Buchanan officer and the Berrien County deputy fired at the suspect vehicle.

The suspect managed to get away, ditch the pickup truck and flee into the woods, according to MSP. Troopers say he was found by a Berrien County K-9 team and arrested.

Nobody was hurt, according to troopers. They say the suspect was jailed on several felony charges, including resisting and obstructing, fleeing and eluding and possessing a stolen vehicle.

State police are investigating. According to the release, both the deputy and the police officer have been placed on paid administrative leave during the investigation, which is standard procedure for officer-involved shootings.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.