ROCKFORD, Mich. — Michigan State Police and the Ingham County Prosecutor have determined a Grand Rapids police officer was justified in shooting a suspect who was wanted for stabbing a woman and attempting to steal her car in a Meijer parking lot.
Victor Gonzalez was shot by Officer Tim Orent the morning of March 11 in the 600 block of Bridge Street while police were attempting to arrest him.
Gonzalez was on parole for carrying a concealed weapon and felonious assault. He was wanted for attempting to carjack a 25-year-old woman at the Meijer on Alpine Avenue. Police say during the attempt, Gonzalez bound the woman’s wrists, threatened her, and then stabbed her as she tried to run away. Police also say Gonzalez attacked a good Samaritan with a hammer when he tried to intervene for the woman.
Grand Rapids police found Gonzalez on March 11 at the Steel Cat Bar on Bridge Street at about 9:00 a.m. He fled when police attempted to make an arrest. Police used a taser on Gonzalez, but it had no effect.
Gonzalez fled into a nearby building that was under construction. A K9 cornered Gonzalez in a crawl space and then grabbed his left leg when Gonzalez emerged to go up stairs to police. Gonzalez then tried to pull another officer down the stairs and was on top of the officer when Orent shot him three times in the lower back and each arm.
The Ingham County Prosecutor determined on Tuesday the officers were within their right to use reasonable force to make an arrest and that deadly force would’ve been justified in protecting the other officer.
The Ingham County Prosecutor investigated the case due to a conflict of interest with the Kent County Prosecutor.
Gonzalez is currently in the Kent County jail awaiting trial.
