Documents: deputy's finger on trigger

HOLLAND, Mich. (WOOD) - The Ottawa County sheriff's deputy who fired the shot that critically injured a Grand Valley State University student made one simple mistake, and it involved his trigger finger, according to new court records (pdf) obtained Tuesday by 24 Hour News 8.

Instead of keeping his finger outside the trigger guard, Deputy Ryan Huizenga placed it on the trigger during the March 11 raid of Derek Copp's apartment, the documents state.

Police standards say officers involved in such raids should keep their finger outside the guard, unless they are intending to shoot.

"Based on my investigation Derek Copp posed no threat to the officers, including Deputy Ryan Huizenga, and that his finger should've been on the outside of the trigger guard, not on the trigger unless he was intending to shoot," State Police Lt. Curtis Schram testified during a probable cause hearing before Holland District Judge Bradley S. Knoll.

The hearing, held Monday in Holland, led to the charge against Huizenga of careless discharge of a weapon causing injury or death.

At the hearing, Schram said that Huizenga was among a number of WEMET officers raiding Copp's off-campus apartment on a drug search warrant. As the officers approached the apartment's sliding glass door, another deputy was shining a flashlight into Copp's eyes as Copp was answering the door, Schram testified.

"As he (Copp) opened up the door, opened up the curtain, he shielded his eyes from the flashlight," Schram said. "Derek Copp did not have any weapon in his hand..."

Huizenga "was reaching for the door with his weak hand and shot with his strong arm a departmental issued .40-caliber Glock. The bullet struck Derek Copp in the chest."

Police said Copp wasn't posing a threat.

Huizenga is out-of-state on vacation and plans to turn himself in, according to police. He remains free on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond.

Neighbors of Huizenga describe him as a family man -- married, the father of two young boys and a little girl. They say he is a good neighbor who works at night and watches his daughter in the morning.

The family moved into a quiet, well-kept neighborhood south of Holland last summer. Neighbors knew what he did for a living, but he rarely talked about it.

"He's just a very nice, caring person, a very caring family," said neighbor Lynn Lamer. "I would have nothing bad to say about them."

Lamer said she was surprised to learn Huizenga fired the shot that injured Copp. She doesn't believe he should lose his job.

"My heart just breaks, it breaks for their family. I think he was just trying to do his job," she said. "I don't know what happened, don't know the circumstances, but what I would say is he was just trying to do his job, and it's unfortunate."

Hudsonville District Judge Kenneth Post has disqualified himself from the case, which likely will be heard in Holland District Court.

If convicted, Huizenga could face up to two years and prison and lose his police certification.

Read the felony warrant against Deputy Huizenga (pdf)