Authorities in Eaton County, Michigan are on high alert following a dramatic shootout early Friday morning involving a fugitive parole absconder, identified as Marcus Gamba Oglesby, who allegedly opened fire on Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) agents. According to The Detroit News, the 31-year-old was spotted in a black Jeep Patriot in Lansing Township when the incident occurred, sparking a manhunt as law enforcement scours the area for Oglesby.
Oglesby, described as 6-foot-1 and weighing 135 pounds, was last seen garbed in black as he engaged officers with gunfire around 8 a.m. before making his escape on foot after a vehicle chase that ended at a shopping plaza, ClickOnDetroit reported; the drama unfolded not far from Lansing and no officers were hit but the suspect remains at large considered armed and dangerous.
MDOC officers initially attempted to apprehend Oglesby, a figure already wanted on numerous felony warrants including aggravated assault, due to him absconding from parole since March 20, having previously served a sentence for resisting arrest, FOX 2 Detroit stated. The fugitive's Jeep was later discovered abandoned behind a home on Drexel Street in Lansing, although the search inside the residence came up empty, intensifying the urgency of the ongoing manhunt.
K-9 units have been deployed as part of the search operation, and citizens have been strongly advised against approaching Oglesby, instead being asked to keep a vigilant lookout and to immediately contact 911 if he is sighted, a particularly striking Michigan license plate ERA 9231 with a bumper sticker proclaiming "Trust me, you don't want to be this close" was one notable feature of the abandoned Jeep which investigators hope might yield further clues to Oglesby's whereabouts.
