ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Mich. -- Two men are behind bars after deputies with St. Joseph County set up an undercover drug buy Wednesday night. Deputies have identified the suspects as Lloyd O'Conner, who was the driver, and passenger Jordan Raymond.
"These two guys were not from our county," said St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough. "It's my understanding that they do sell quite a bit of methamphetamine."
McDonough said that a team of deputies from the Narcotics Unit set up an undercover buy for methamphetamines around 7:00 p.m. at a John Deere dealership near Three Rivers.
"They drive past our marked car very slowly, I think looking for the person the confidential informant who had arranged for the buy," said McDonough during an interview at his office. "At that point our officer gets out of his car says ‘Stop, Police.'"
McDonough said the suspects then drove past the officer, reversed quickly and then hit the unmarked vehicle. The suspects then accelerated and tried to run down the officer, he said. The deputy withdrew his service weapon.
"He fired one shot at the driver side of the vehicle," said McDonough. "It struck the driver of the vehicle in his right shoulder.
Several other officers that were nearby arrived and the two suspects were taken into custody. One suspect was injured and treated at an Bronson hospital in Kalamazoo.
O'Connor of Marcellus and Raymond of Menominee are each being charged with one count of Attempted Murder, Possession with Intent to Deliver Meth and three counts of Assaulting, Resisting and Obstructing a Police Officer.
"I’m very thankful that no one lost their life in this," said McDonough. "It was certainly a very dangerous situation."
