Two in the running for Grand Traverse sheriff as filing deadline nears

Apr. 6—TRAVERSE CITY — The filing deadline for all Grand Traverse County positions in this year's elections is fast approaching.

Incumbent county Sheriff Michael Shea formally announced in front of local media, friends and family on Thursday afternoon at the Law Enforcement Center on Woodmere Avenue that he would be running for election.

According to county Clerk Bonnie Scheele, Shea and former sheriff's office Sgt. Charlie Jetter are the only two who have formally filed for the position so far.

Jetter hosted his own public announcement of his intent to run for the office back in March at the Republican Action Center. He said he invited family, friends and supporters to the event.

Candidates running for a county or township position, including sheriff, must file by 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 23.

This election cycle, the Michigan Democratic and Republican primaries will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 6. The general election is on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Both of the current candidates for sheriff have filed under the Republican Party, with no one having filed under the Democratic Party as of April 4.

During the press conference on Thursday, Shea said he felt like now was the perfect time to go public with his announcement.

"The truth of the matter is I filed quite a while ago," he said. "At some point I think it's necessary to make it public, and it just seemed like a very good time to finally come out and let the county know that I'd like to continue to serve."

Jetter said he chose to announce his run in March because the month of April is typically pretty busy for his business, Jett's Lawn Care.

"Springtime gets a little busy so I figured this April time would be busy with getting down this first round of fertilizer and be busy doing irrigation start-ups, so it worked out really well for me for that timing," he said. "It was just a personal choice — that's all."

Jetter and Shea aren't new to competing against each other for Grand Traverse County sheriff, with both men going through the application process to take over the office after former Sheriff Tom Bensley announced his retirement last summer.

Bensley won his last election in 2020 with 22,136 votes compared to his Democratic challenger Greg Hall, who got 14,637 votes.

Part of his retirement strategy was to leave the office short of his four-year mark so his undersheriff, Shea, would have a smooth transition into the role, Bensley said before he left office.

A committee made up of Probate Court Judge Jennifer Whitten, Chief Prosecuting Attorney Noelle Moeggenberg and Scheele asked Jetter and Shea 10 questions each before unanimously selecting Shea on Aug. 23 to finish the remainder of Bensley's term.

All three of the committee members are up for re-election this November. They are currently running unopposed, according to county election records.

Shea has worked for the sheriff's office since 2005 and has held the following roles: road patrol deputy, community police officer for East Bay Township, detective, undersheriff and most recently, sheriff.

Jetter first joined the department in 2001 and worked there until his departure in 2017 to focus on his business.

During his tenure, he worked as a road patrol deputy, a community police officer for Garfield Township, a D.A.R.E. officer for Silver Lake and Courtade Elementary Schools, an accident investigator, second in command for the local Emergency Response Team and sergeant.

In 2007, as a trained sniper on the ERT he was investigated after fatally shooting Craig Carlson, from Interlochen, after an 11-hour armed standoff, ending the siege. He was one of more than 50 law enforcement officers to respond to the scene, and was found not criminally responsible after a Michigan State Police investigation, an attorney general investigation and other court actions.

Ultimately Carlson's family filed lawsuits against Jetter, then-sheriff Scott Fewins, the ERT and the county resulting in a settlement of $250,000 paid out from the county's insurance fund in 2018, as previously reported.

"It was a challenging time," Jetter said over the phone on Friday afternoon. "I've been through this. I understand this. I understand the ramifications of use of force. So it's one of those things where I've been through it. So I know what it's like. I think it makes me a better person overall to step back and kind of understand like what do people go through, what do they feel during a critical incident like that."

Jetter also said that going through the aftermath of the shooting shows he can get through critical moments.

"I really can't get past that. I've been there. I've been through it," he said. "It's an unfortunate event, but I think that's what makes me a better candidate is I've been through a critical incident like that."

He's currently a trustee for Mayfield Township and serves on the Mayfield Planning Commission. Jetter also ran for county commissioner in 2022.