(State Police identified the Individual in the shooting as 31 year old Virgil Taylor of Zeeland. Taylor died from a single bullet after a prolonged and violent fight with the Trooper.)
Monday at approximately 3 p.m., a trooper from the Michigan State Police Wayland Post responded to a 911 call about a breaking and entering in progress on Oak Road near 132nd Street in the Heath Township area of Hamilton. When the trooper arrived, he encountered the male suspect in the front yard. Witnesses observed a physical altercation between the trooper and the suspect, during which the trooper pulled his firearm and shot the suspect, hitting him once.
The trooper immediately administered first aid to the suspect until EMS arrived. The suspect later died of his injuries. The trooper suffered some facial injuries. No one else was injured during the incident.
Preliminary investigation has revealed that the suspect and one of the homeowners knew each other from a past relationship.
The names of the trooper and deceased suspect are being withheld pending further investigation.
