BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — Police are investigating an officer-involved shooting, according to the city of Battle Creek.
Officers from the city’s Gang Suppression Unit were doing a routine patrol on North Washington Avenue, near Claude Evans Park, around 8 p.m. Wednesday.
They saw a large crowd and several people running away from the basketball courts. Chief Shannon Bagley with the Battle Creek Police Department said Thursday that there were around 200 to 300 people in the park, which was hosting an adult basketball league at the time.
"I mean, just think about that. You're out enjoying an evening, great summer evening, whether you were there just enjoying the park or participating in the sporting activities with the basketball going on, and then a situation where an incident or some type of altercation escalates into a shooting," Chief Bagley said. "It's absolutely horrific. It's unconscionable that we've reached that level of behavior. There were plenty of kids there, moms, grandmas and other people there."
Witnesses told police to go near the basketball courts where they believed a fight was happening.
As officers approached the fight, someone ran past them saying people had guns.
Officers heard several shots fired, and saw a man pointing a handgun before firing several rounds at other people in the park.
One officer fired a shot at the man with a gun in an effort to stop him, but police say the suspect got in a black Buick SUV and took off.
Chief Bagley says the officer who fired the shots is a ten-year veteran of the department and has been involved in a separate officer-involved shooting.
Police in Battle Creek released body camera video Thursday of shots being fired.
WATCH:
Police are not sure if anyone in the park got hurt. They say no officers were hurt, and the officer who fired the shot is on paid administrative leave, per department protocol.
"We have an administrative review process to make sure that his conduct was in line with our use of force policy and procedure pursuant to case law," Chief Bagley said about the officer who fired the shot.
The Battle Creek Police Department's use of force policy states that it is acceptable to use deadly force in defense of self or others.
Investigators say they know who the suspect is, and they believe he was targeting certain people— they do not believe the community is in danger.
"Just think of all the other individuals that live in that community immediately adjacent to that park and the surrounding areas— public safety is a community responsibility. We can't do it alone," Chief Bagley said.
While investigating, officers found two other guns left in the area.
The Battle Creek Police Department says it has recovered 90 guns in just the last six months.
"We're working on solutions and we're working on developing, to bring other partnerships and community stakeholders to the table so that we can start to drill down and really start to address this in a different way because a lot of the systems and manners in which we use to try [to] address these issues haven't worked," Chief Bagley said.
It's not clear what sparked the initial altercation, but police say people have been cooperating.
If you were in the park at the time of the shooting or have any information about what happened, call 911. You can also submit tips anonymously by calling Silent Observer at 269-964-3888.
