BC police: Officer shot armed suspect

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (WOOD) - The man shot by a Battle Creek police officer Thursday night after investigators said he pulled a gun from his waist has been upgraded from serious to fair condition, the police chief told 24 Hour News 8 Friday.

That man, 29-year-old Ryan Edger, ran away from officers who were called to a southwest Battle Creek neighborhood around 11:30 p.m. because of a report of a loud party, Chief Jackie Hampton said.

Officers were chasing the man, the chief said, when he reached for the weapon and was shot near the intersection of Cleveland and Goguac streets.

Hampton said that, based on the initial investigation, the shooting appears to be justified.

A woman who said she is Edger's aunt told 24 Hour News 8 the situation is a sad one. She said the family is pleased that the community did not lose an officer in the incident.

Two neighbors who know Edger said the 29-year-old was shot in another incident in December 2010.

They said this time, they believe Edger was getting the gun from his waist to get rid of it.

The 29-year-old spent time in prison on a 2002 federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to court records obtained by 24 Hour News 8. A background check showed he had previously pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy to manufacture or distribute marijuana. That stemmed from a 2001 charge. Earlier in his life, Edger was charged with felony armed robbery. The case was handled in juvenile court, the background check showed.

The officer who fired the shot is on paid administrative leave, the chief said, a standard practice in shootings involving officers. That officer has been with the department for three years has an "outstanding" work record, according to a department news release.

Hampton said he sees more "officer-perpetrator confrontations" now than he did 24 years ago, when his law enforcement career began.

"We want to make sure officers are prepared to deal with these situations," he said. "At the end of the day, we want to make sure they go home."

Battle Creek police are investigating whether department procedures were followed and Michigan State Police investigators are conducting the criminal investigation, Hampton said.

Prosecutors will ultimately determine whether the shooting was justified.