No Charges for Mich. Troopers in Fatal Shooting of Deputy's Accused Killer

By Charles E. Ramirez

Source The Detroit News

Michigan State Police troopers who fatally shot a man after he allegedly killed a Hillsdale County sheriff's deputy last year will not face criminal charges.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said Tuesday her office concluded its review of the suspect's shooting and determined the troopers involved acted in self-defense and the defense of fellow officers.

"Under all the facts and circumstances known to troopers on this date, they were justified in their use of deadly self-defense," Nessel said in a statement. "(The Department of Attorney General) concluded the MSP troopers acted in self-defense and defense of fellow officers and did not act in a manner that would substantiate criminal charges."

Michigan State Police officials said Wednesday they had no comment to add to the Attorney General's statement.

The incident happened on June 27, 2024, in Jonesville.

Police said Eric Michael Fiddler, 34, of Jonesville, allegedly shot and wounded Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Deputy William Butler during a traffic stop near Beecher and Lamb roads. Fiddler ran away from the scene, they said.

Butler later died from his wounds.

State police troopers and two state police canine units were dispatched to find and arrest the armed suspect, according to the attorney general's office.

Authorities said they received a 9-1-1 call reporting a sighting of the suspect near Osseo Road and North Street. Police arriving at the location saw the suspect run into the woods near Culbert and Osseo roads.

Troopers searched the woods and a canine unit tracked him to a shed, officials said. Police ordered the suspect to exit the shed with his hands up, but he did not comply, they said. Officers entered the shed and found it empty.

One of the troopers saw the suspect lying behind a wall about 50 feet from the shed and ordered him to show him his hand, according to the attorney general's office. However, the suspect — later identified as Fiddler — allegedly fired a shot at the trooper and the other officers returned fire, killing him.

Medics were called but Fiddler was obviously dead with a gunshot to the left side of his head, police said.

Investigators said they found a 9mm pistol in his hand and a spent cartridge case near his body.

They also said an autopsy revealed a high level of methamphetamines in Fiddler’s blood.

Butler was one of three law enforcement officers fatally shot in the line of duty in 2024. The year marked the first time since 2016 that three officers in the state were gunned down. Nationally, there were 52 police officers across the country killed by gunfire in 2024.

In July, Melvindale Police Officer Mohamed Said died after a suspect shot him during a struggle.

Oakland County Sheriff's Deputy Bradley Reckling was fatally shot in June while he and other members of a multijurisdictional task force investigated a car that was stolen from a waterpark. One of the three men charged in connection with his fatal shooting pleaded guilty to multiple crimes this week.

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