Mich. Police Rookie, Trainer Caught in Shootout with Gun Theft Suspect

An 18-year-old suspect wanted in a firearm theft opened fire when a Grand Rapids police officer, who had been on the job less than two months, and his trainer spotted the man on the street.

By John Agar

Source mlive.com

Nov. 12, 2025

3 min read

What to know

An 18-year-old suspect wanted in a firearm theft fired multiple shots at Grand Rapids police officers Tuesday before being captured after a brief foot chase, officials said.
Officers returned fire, and a police drone later located the suspect’s discarded weapon.
Michigan State Police are investigating the shooting, which occurred while an officer was training a rookie with less than two months on the job.

Grand Rapids, MI, Police Chief Eric Winstrom talks to media Tuesday after officers and an 18-year-old suspect exchanged gunfire with a rookie officer and his trainer.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — A man sought by police for a firearm theft turned and shot at officers – who returned fire – before he fled on foot and was eventually captured, police Chief Eric Winstrom said.

No one was injured.

The incident happened around 1:40 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 11, near Blaine Avenue SE and Adams Street.

An officer spotted the 18-year-old suspect and called out his name. The suspect turned and fired multiple shots at police, who returned fire.

“Miraculously, no one was struck by gunfire,” Winstrom said at a press conference.

The suspect fled on foot. Police provided a strong description of the suspect who was soon captured.

Police immediately launched a drone to conduct surveillance in the area and it picked up the heat signature of the suspect’s firearm, which he had discarded.

The officer who spotted the suspect was training another officer who had been on the job less than two months.

The shootout showed “how dangerous just basic police work can be. And I’m very thankful, especially if the officers are unhurt, but also that no innocent bystanders were.”

Preliminary reports indicated the suspect fired four shots. Both officers shot back.

Michigan State Police responded to the scene and will investigate the police shooting as an outside agency.

Winstrom said that police will investigate if either officer could have done anything differently. He said police work to learn from any serious incident.

“Obviously, that’s the thing, but it’s very possible from at least the preliminary reports that I have, that this individual started off by shooting multiple rounds at these officers.”

He was concerned about how the new officer responds after a potentially deadly situation so early in his career.

“My first concern was because he’s so new was, is this going to be a moment for him that he kind of reflects on his career choice now, and says, ‘I’m going to take it in a different direction.’ And I’ve seen that so many times in my career when you get into a traumatic situation, especially when you’re new, that that’s caused even friends of mine that I know that have just quit the job on that very same day.

Winstrom talked to the new hire soon after the incident unfolded. It helped that no one was hurt.

The young officer appeared to be “in good spirts,” but Winstrom said that it was “still a very traumatic experience to go through.”

The chief said police will test the firearm to see if it’s been involved in other serious crimes.

The suspect “came very close to shooting and killing someone else and being shot and killed himself. So I think this if ,, should be a day that he wakes up and makes better choices moving forward.”

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