Battle Creek Police Chief Says Suspect Killed Himself as Officer Opened Fire
Battle Creek's Police chief identified the suspect who shot himself as a Battle Creek Police Officer opened fire.
Battle Creek Police Chief Jim Blocker shared the bodycam footage of an officer-involved shooting that took place on Wednesday, September 1, 2021. The Battle Creek Police officer involved in the incident is just 22-years-old and has been placed on paid administrative leave, a standard procedure for incidents of this nature.
The suspect is identified as 27-year-old Kamren Brown, who had a long criminal history. The officer's bodycam showed the officer pleading with Brown to drop the weapon as Brown lifted the gun to his head and fired.
Chief Blocker said a woman called 911 shortly at 3:55 p.m. Wednesday, reporting that Brown, was armed and was banging on her door and she was worried he was trying to get in. As officers were dispatched the caller told dispatchers that Brown had broken out a window with his gun.
Brown fled the scene before officers arrived within minutes of the initial 911 call being placed. A responding officer spotted Brown within two minutes of arriving in the area. A foot chase on South Avenue near Fountain Street ensued.
The officer continued asking Brown to stop, and he did after hopping over a fence. As the officer approached and ordered him to put his hands up, Brown started to reach for his side. The officer ordered him to stop and stated he wanted to help Brown and figure out what was going on.
The officer's bodycam footage shows Brown lift the weapon to his head as the officer backs off. Brown fired his weapon into the side of his head. The officer also fired one shot. First aid was immediately rendered by the officer, but the self-inflicted shot proved to be fatal. The officer was uninjured.
Chief Blocker said a preliminary autopsy showed Brown died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and that he also sustained a gunshot wound to the leg. Brown's weapon was a Smith & Wesson semi-automatic handgun.
Brown's recent criminal history shows numerous charges but due to a lack of cooperative witnesses, he had not been convicted. Battle Creek Police appealed to the public for help locating Brown in May 2020 who was being sought for assault with intent to murder for shooting a 17-year-old girl. He was formally charged in November 2020 for that case but ultimately escaped conviction.
The incident remains under investigation by Michigan State Police. Chief Blocker says the Battle Creek Police Department will hold their own investigation to see what can be learned from the incident moving forward.
You can view the press conference in its entirety below
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