GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — Tuesday afternoon, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker provided updates on two shooting cases from March.
The first case took place on March 18 when a Kent County Sheriff's Deputy was involved in a shooting during a traffic crash investigation on 32nd Street in Cascade Township.
Becker announced that the Kent County Prosecutors Office is not filing charges against the deputy who was involved in the shooting on 32nd street. Becker says that the discharge of the firearm was a mistake by the officer.
The Kent County Sheriff's Office said later that afternoon that they will complete an internal investigation to evaluate if there are any training or policy implications.
The second case involved a Kent County homeowner who shot and killed a home invasion suspect in Byron Township on March 30.
Becker announced that the Kent County Prosecutors Office is also not filing charges against the Byron Center homeowner who shot and killed a home invasion suspect. He says that the homeowner was allowed to use the force necessary to repel someone from coming in his home, including deadly force.
Watch the entire update below:
Kent Co. deputy-involved shooting during traffic crash
A Kent County Sheriff’s deputy was involved in a shooting incident on the morning of Friday, March 18 on 32nd Street in Cascade Township.
According to Public Information Officer Eric Brunner, a deputy discharged their firearm while investigating an earlier traffic crash.
The Kent County Sheriff’s Office says the related traffic crash happened around 1:48 a.m., when a vehicle crashed into a power pole on 36th Street just east of Patterson Avenue. The stuck pole was reportedly leaning over the roadway with live wires.
Authorities say the driver is a 51-year-old man from Grand Rapids, and he is believed to have fallen asleep at the wheel. The man was not injured in the crash.
Around 2:40 a.m., the deputy in training discharged two handgun rounds toward the car that crashed. Police say no one was in the car at the time and no one was injured.
RELATED: More details released about Kent Co. deputy-involved shooting during traffic crash investigation
Man shot, killed while trying to break into Byron Twp.
A Kent County homeowner shot and killed a home invasion suspect in Byron Township on March 30. The homeowner, Alan Lenhart, says he was woken up around midnight as a male suspect was going through his truck in the driveway and started breaking the car windows on 108th Street near Wilson Avenue.
Lenhart says that he approached the suspect outside his home where he was commanded to get the keys to the car. When Lenhart went back inside to call 911 and get his hunting shotgun loaded, he says the suspect attempted to enter his home and the two exchanged gunfire.
When responders arrived on the scene, they say the suspect was found dead from a gunshot wound not far from the home.
Kent County Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young later identified the 39-year-old suspect as Christopher Worth of Middleville.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
