Man mistakenly shot after the deputy thought he heard a gun shot

A deputy who thought he heard gunfire before he shot a 29-year-old man last fall was mistaken.Show more

The unarmed man he shot said he had broken out a window, causing a loud noise police at the scene thought were gunshots, according to video and documents obtained by MLive/Jackson Citizen-Patriot.

On the evening of Oct. 15, 2021, former Jackson County deputy Bradley Reed fired two gunshots at a man he believed to be armed on the grounds of a business in the 2500 block of Spring Arbor Road in Summit Township.

After a three-month investigation, Reed retired when faced with possible disciplinary measures.

This case was referred to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office for review, but no criminal charges were issued against the deputy or the man, who was suffering a mental health crisis at the time.

Since the 29-year-old man was not charged with any crimes, MLive is not naming him.

MLive recently obtained the Michigan State Police investigation report of the incident, along with footage from body-worn cameras of deputies involved with the shooting, through Freedom of Information Act requests.

The footage provided by MSP was redacted, and did not portray the shooting itself. Through a separate FOIA request, a less redacted version of the footage was released by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. The image of the man was blurred out by police. The video in this story has been edited together from both videos.

Shortly before 1 p.m. on Oct. 15, the parents of a 29-year-old man came into the lobby of the Jackson Police Department’s office requesting officers conduct a check on their son, who seemed to be struggling with his mental health, according to a police report.

The husband and wife told officers their son had become increasingly paranoid, and had made threats about getting into a shootout with the police. They also said he took a work truck from his father’s company.

He was last seen at the company’s office in the 2500 block of Spring Arbor Road, police said.

‘We have gunshots inside’

Deputies were called to the office to try and take the man into custody shortly before 5 p.m. Oct. 15, according to the MSP investigation report.

Jackson County Central Dispatch informed responding deputies, Reed among them, that the suspect might have a 12-gauge shotgun and wanted to get into a shootout with the police, officials said. Once on the scene, deputies set up a perimeter around the building, with Reed stationed by a garage.

At one point in his body camera footage, Reed remarks that he hears yelling inside the building and asks if it’s the man.

Less than two minutes later, Reed appears alarmed when he hears a loud banging sound. Seconds later, two more bangs are heard and Reed is seen raising his weapon in the video.

According to sheriff’s office call records, deputies reported hearing what sounded like gunshots from inside the building at about 30 seconds past 5:07 p.m.

“We have gunshots inside,” Reed announces on his radio.

Seconds later, Reed raises his gun to the tree-line and yells “let me see your hands” twice. A man yells in the background, appearing to say “I’ve got them up,” according to the video.

About a second later, Reed fires two shots at the man, hitting him in the left buttock.

Reed runs toward the man, telling him to put his hands up. The man is seen lying on the ground in the video.

“I can’t move my legs, I’m sorry,” the man says.

Reed radios dispatch to say shots were fired, all while keeping his gun trained on the wounded man and telling him to keep his hands up.

“I think you got my artery -- I’m really bleeding I think,” the wounded man says.

The man continues to shout in pain as another deputy handcuffs him. Reed asks where the man was hit, to which he said he was shot behind the back of his thigh on his left leg.

Reed asks the man if he shot himself, prompting a confused response from the wounded man. Reed seems convinced the banging sounds he heard seconds before he shot was gunfire.

“Why did you shoot out the back window coming running out like that?” Reed asks the man.

“I didn’t shoot, I just like bashed it out -- I didn’t have a weapon on me,” the man answers.

The man asks how much blood there is as the second deputy shifts his now-handcuffed body onto his side.

“You ain’t even bleeding, bud,” Reed tells him. Reed then turns to another responding officer and says, “I need first aid kit now. He’s shot in the ass.”

Reed then walks away from the scene of the shooting.

“I need to back out now because I shot,” he says.

No weapon was found on the 29-year-old man, though a 12-gauge shotgun and ammunition were later found in a vehicle parked outside the building, according to the MSP report.
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