Deputy shot with crossbow, suspect killed

CATO TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A Montcalm County deputy was airlifted to a Grand Rapids hospital late Friday after he was shot with a crossbow.

Family of the injured deputy confirmed to FOX 17 he is Michael Kotenko. As of Saturday afternoon, investigators said the deputy was in stable condition.

The incident happened late Friday night as Montcalm County deputies and an officer from the Michigan State Police Lakeview Post were serving an arrest warrant for felony charges at a home in the 8000 block of Townline Road.

While at the home, police said the suspect shot at officers with a crossbow, hitting Kotenko in the torso.

Officers then returned fire, hitting the suspect at least once killing him.

Neighbor Kevin Schultz identified the suspect as 40-year-old Travis Quay. Schultz told FOX 17 Quay accused him of stealing his marijuana plants. That's when Schultz said he was held at knife point by Quay.

Schultz said his son, Levi, was stabbed with a pitch fork.

"He's been nice ever since he moved in and just one day I guess, he got up and snapped," Schultz said.

"They (police) went up there, and they were banging on the door like this with a flashlight ... and he come out with a crossbow and then it was like 'bang, bang, bang' and he was done and he was laying on the ground."

Schultz said Quay was violent and aggressive and acted strangely earlier in the day when his brother confronted Quay.

"He walks up there. He goes 'hey man. ya know. what's going on? why you pulling knifes in front of my daughter?' He goes, 'you tell me' and kind of lunged at him with a pitchfork and got him right in the arm," he said.

Quay panicked after learning Schultz's brother planned to call police, he told FOX 17.

"He said he was going to burn our house down, kill my dad's grandkids up here, kill his family, kill all of his, one by one, slowly," Schultz said. "I was like 'uh uh,' either we're moving or he's going to jail or something. I'm done."

An autopsy is scheduled for Quay on Monday.