MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, Mich. — On any given Wednesday, the Muskegon Heights community is thriving. Wednesday, the Barney Maffett Cafe hosted a job fair. Half a dozen people, including city leaders, sat in booths to be there for community members who need them. Everyone raved about the salmon egg rolls.
Just outside the Muskegon Heights Police Department, Kevin Jackson was barbecuing at a farmer's market stand. He serves a vast menu of options and has a loyal base of customers, including Michigan State Police troopers and Muskegon Heights police officers.
"We get a lot of them," Jackson said.
Those same customers Jackson has grown to love on any given Wednesday in Muskegon Heights experienced a terrible Tuesday.
READ MORE: Muskegon Heights shooting ends with crash, multiple injuries
“Officer got behind, the chase went on and we have to try to apprehend those people, and you have people shoot back at the police. That kind of situation is never good for our community,” Muskegon Heights Police Chief Maurice Sain said.
Tuesday, an officer with two decades of experience and an officer home-grown in Muskegon Heights were shot at, Police Chief Sain says. No officers were hit. The suspects being chased by the officers were reportedly just involved in a shooting at Lincoln and Hoyt, and driving a red Buick.
When officers found the red Buick, the suspects drove away. At Sherman and Riordan, the passenger got out of the car and started running.
The driver kept going down Riordan and crashed into two cars at the intersection of Broadway and Riordan. Everyone was taken to the hospital to get checked out after the crash, with a range of injuries and severity, police say.
For Chief Sain, it's a point of pride that his officers got up and came to work on Wednesday, the same way they do every day.
“I think sometimes that’s the thing that gets overlooked, the courage and dedication that these officers have for this community. A lot of them are not from the community like me, but they come in every day, strap on their boots and give 100-percent effort,” Sain said.
Sain added that the response from the surrounding community's law enforcement means a lot. The Muskegon Police Department, the Muskegon County Sheriff's Office and Michigan State Police all helped on Tuesday. A K-9 from MSP tried to track the subject, but the track wasn't successful.
If you have any information, call the Muskegon Heights Police Department at 231-733-8900.
Jackson said it's a troubling reminder that some of his best customers and community members could have been hurt.
“It’s pretty dangerous, dangerous shooting at police or anyone,” Jackson added. “I’m just glad they didn’t get shot or killed. Terrible thing to happen."
