Experts analyze Eaton County Sheriff’s deputy deadly shooting
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – On Jan. 11, Eaton County Sheriff Deputies shot and killed a 33-year-old man.
Friday, the department released some video from the dashboard camera of one of the patrol vehicles involved in the deadly confrontation.
Officials say Garrett Freeman had been on law enforcement radar for days following a domestic violence incident in Charlotte on Jan. 9. The following day he made law enforcement aware he was prepared to have a shootout with police and had over 100 rounds of ammunition.
On Jan 11, Eaton County Deputies identified Freeman and attempted to stop him. A short pursuit followed, with deputies forcing his truck and trailer off the road. One patrol vehicle stopped blocking the driver’s side door of Freeman’s truck and demanded he exit the vehicle.
Instead, video shows, he raised a handgun and fired at officers.
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6 News reached out to experts in law enforcement and asked them to review the video and information released Friday.
Drew Carter is a professor of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. He says it appears officers acted appropriately.
“He fired first,” Carter says. “The officers were justified. I don’t think they had a real good opportunity for de-escalation of force. It’s hard to tell.”
Former Eaton County Sheriff Rick Jones agrees with Carter’s analysis.
“With the video you have shown me, he drew a gun on the officers and I am told he shot,” Jones says. “They had absolutely nothing else they could do.”
The three officers involved in the shooting remain on paid administrative leave as the Michigan State Police. They are Lt. Preston Dahlgren and K9 Deputy Shelby Studley – both have been with the department for a decade or more. Deputy Randi Lane was also involved and has been with the department for four years.
People close to Freeman tell 6 News they’re devastated by his death. They say he was a loving father of three and hard-working. They add he had a history of mental health struggles and had a traumatic brain injury resulting from a motorcycle accident.
6 News did a criminal background check on Freeman when his name was released Tuesday. The Michigan State Police iCHAT background check found no criminal convictions. A review of court records found only traffic cases.
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