A fatal officer-involved shooting in Marshal, Michigan, has resulted in the death of 41-year-old Michael Anthony Koch, who was shot by a deputy after he reportedly pointed a weapon, later identified as a BB gun, at law enforcement. According to the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office, the incident occurred following a 911 call around 10:44 a.m. on Wednesday, during which a family member reported Koch had possibly shot himself and was threatening further violence, as noted by WWMT.
During the same call, the family member mentioned that Koch sent texts claiming he had shot himself in the head. The texts also included threats towards police, stating, "if the cops show up and I'm still alive I'll shoot them," as obtained by MLive. Responding to a residence on 18 1/2 Mile Road, deputies found Koch on the back patio, where he pointed a rifle-style BB gun at an officer and uttered the words, "Shoot me, b****."
The deputy involved in the shooting, with 27 years of law enforcement experience and a 4.5-year tenure with the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office, reportedly gave commands for Koch to stand up and face away, then to put down his weapon as seen in bodycam footage released by the office, as reported by WZZM13. Not complying with the orders, Koch was shot and immediately received life-saving measures, yet he was pronounced dead shortly after.
During a press conference, Sheriff Steve Hinkley described the event as "tragic and heartbreaking," emphasizing the profound impact such incidents have on families and communities. Addressing the press, Hinkley declined further questions to preserve the investigative process's integrity, as MLive documented. The incident is currently under investigation by the Michigan State Police and the sheriff's office's Office of Professional Standards, following which, the deputy was placed on paid administrative leave. After the deputy involved has been with CCSO for 4.5 years and fired the fatal shot started life-saving measures, officials stated no additional comments would be given due to the investigation's ongoing nature, as per WZZM13.
