News

Actions

2 northern Michigan officers cleared in man’s fatal shooting

Posted at 4:09 PM, Nov 07, 2019
and last updated 2019-11-07 16:09:55-05

WALLOON LAKE, Mich. (AP) — The fatal shooting of a 27-year-old man by two police officers in northern Michigan has been ruled justified.

Charlevoix County Prosecutor Allen Telgenhof says in a letter Thursday that the Boyne City officer and county sheriff’s deputy have been cleared of wrongdoing and used deadly force to defend themselves Oct. 26 against Johnathan Slattery.

The letter was addressed to the county sheriff and Boyne City police chief. It says the officers were responding to a call about a suicidal man and encountered Slattery in a parking area in Walloon Lake, about 45 miles northeast of Traverse City.

The letter says Slattery became combative with the officers. Slattery pulled a gun and fired at them when a police stun gun failed to subdue him. The officers returned gunfire.