Dudley pursuit ends with shots fired
By Gary Popp
Published in News on September 15, 2011 1:46 PM
The search for suspects involved in shooting at a Wayne County Sheriff's Office deputy early this morning ended with an attempted suicide.
The primary suspect, Harold Harloe-Bruce Clother, 30, is currently in Wayne Memorial Hospital being treated for what officials are calling serious head trauma.
Clother is believed to be the gunman who fired six or seven shots from a SKS high-powered rifle at a deputy who was inside his patrol car around 12:30 a.m. after a traffic stop on Mitchell Road in Dudley.
Deputy Travis Cox was able to avoid serious injury by lying on the floor of the vehicle.
The shooting and chase prompted officials with the Wayne County Public Schools to alert parents and staff via its AlertNow system to potential delays in bus traffic to some schools.
Moments before the shooting took place, a call of shots fired came over dispatch from Rollingwood Estates around 12:15 a.m.
As Deputy Chris Jackson responded to the call, he pulled over a vehicle that matched the suspect's vehicle description.
After Jackson stopped the vehicle around 12:30 a.m., the driver, Mavon Lam, of Potts Road, was put in the patrol vehicle while Clother, another man and two women remained in the suspect's vehicle.
Cox then arrived to provide back up, soon after which, the stopped vehicle began to speed away. The deputy pursued the vehicle on Old Mount Olive Highway, Genoa Road and Pecan Road. The pursuit came to an abrupt stop when the vehicle slammed on its brakes and shots were fired from the stopped vehicle.
Several of the bullets struck the patrol car's windshield.
The vehicle with suspects then speeeded away. The vehicle was later located in a wooded area several hundred yards from Casey's Saw Mill Road.
The Sheriff's Office initiated its S.W.A.T. Team and helicopter to assist in the search for the suspects. The search effort included a second helicopter that was provided by state Highway Patrol.
During the investigation, lawmen discovered that Clother had gotten into another vehicle that was later located at 117 Timothy St., which is believed to be Clother's residence.
Lawmen then secured the residence and the neighborhood. As lawmen prepared to make entry into the residence, April Crisp, who was later identified as Clother's girlfriend, exited the residence and told lawmen that Clother was threatening suicide.
At about this time, a gunshot was heard, deputies say.
Lawmen entered the residence and discovered that Clother had a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and he was transported to the hospital.
Officials said the law enforcement operation ended at about 9:30 a.m. today.
Deputies say Clother has an extensive criminal history in Michigan and is wanted by Michigan authorities for an outstanding warrant for probation violation on a home invasion charge.
Ken Derksen, the schools' public information officer, said school officials were concerned over the safety of students and school staff in the southern part of the county.
"We were able to send out a message to students and staff at Spring Creek High School, Brogden Primary, Brogden Middle and also included Southern Wayne, even though technically that particular road doesn't affect Southern Wayne, but it's right on the border, so we felt like parents or students, as well as staff members, know that that road was closed," he said. "We used that system to communicate with parents in that area that buses may be delayed, and they may have to take alternate routes."