Cruiser stolen; 1 caught, 1 deputy hurt

ROBINSON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) - A man stole an Ottawa County Sheriff's Department cruiser Friday afternoon, investigators said, then led a deputy on a chase that ended with a sheriff's lieutenant hospitalized.

 The officer, Lt. Mike Brookhouse, could be released from the hospital as early as Friday night, his colleague, Lt. Steve Kempker said.

The suspect, whose name and age have not been released, stole a deputy's cruiser, investigators said, after that deputy was called to investigate a domestic assault complaint. The suspect is scheduled for arraignment on Monday.

A partial transcript of the conversation between the suspect in the cruiser and a sheriff dispatcher is at the bottom of this story.

A 46-year-old woman in a car near 144th Avenue and Unicorn Drive called 911, Kempker said, and complained of the assault. When the deputy arrived, the suspect was talking to the woman through a car window, Kempker said.

The suspect eventually fled on foot and the deputy followed on foot, Kempker said. After that, the suspect was able to circle around, return to the vehicle and take it.

An onlooker offered the deputy his car and the deputy used it to chase the suspect, investigators said, who was now driving the cruiser. The two traveled, at speeds of roughly 30 to 40 miles per hour, north on 144th Avenue, then east on Green Street and then south on 120th Avenue.

Speeds began to increase as the suspect traveled toward Lake Michigan Drive and speed strips were placed in the roadway. The suspect was able to avoid them, investigators said.

Fearing that the suspect would cause a crash on busy Lake Michigan Drive, officers boxed him in, investigators said, at which point the suspect tried to keep moving.

That's when Brookhouse, who had joined the effort to try and box the suspect in, was hurt, Kemper said. Deputies were able to take the suspect into custody.

The deputy whose vehicle was stolen followed procedure, Kempker said.

He said in order to continue to operate emergency lights and power other electronics, deputies need to keep the vehicle running while making a stop like the one in question.

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Transcript of conversation between the suspect in the cruiser and the sheriff dispatcher:

:17- deputy: he's taking off in the cruiser

1:01 dispatcher: he's on the radio... Northbound 144th in the cruiser 1:05

1:09 suspect: will someone please direct me where to go? Dispatcher: i advise you to stop right now sir. 1:21

1:45 dispatcher: suspect in the cruiser i advise you to stop. Suspect in the cruiser stop before you make it worse on yourself... Stop the cruiser.

2:24 dispatcher: subject in the cruiser i advise you to stop, you are approaching lincoln street now, stop the cruiser.

2:45 subject in the cruiser stop the cruiser: (setup)

3:35 dispatcher: 2672 in a civilians vehicle following.

5:23 suspect: please direct me where to go. Dispatcher: i am directing you to stop that car stop the cruiser now.
Suspect: you are looking for a blue chevy, a blue chevy on my left, 1211 north cedar its my mothers house ... I just passed it. Dispatcher: ok stop at your mother's house

5:49 stop at your mother's residence then.

6:50 suspect: heading to ottawa county filmore, 1211, sorry i forget the address there... (inaudible)'s got a lot going on in the basement. Dispatcher: 10-4, i advise you to stop the vehicle or you are going to run into a lot of cruisers, do not crash that vehicle, stop that cruiser

7:05 suspect: yes maam, yes, maam, i don't know if uh, i have no motive here. Dispacther: i advise you to stop the vehicle now sir, you are making it worse on yourself

7:23 suspect: i can see that, i can see that by his yard, marty wiegen over and out. 7:27

8:17 officer: he avoided the strips, heading to fillmore. Dispatcher: 10-4, avoided the strips headed to filmore, sir stop the vehicle.

8:40 suspect: david allen smith told me his son stole a car once, it was a cop car, feels like a dream, the reason i am doing what i am doing today. I'm making my way to filmore, i will be stoppin there and i will be exiting the vehicle. Dispatcher: sir you will stop that car before you get to filmore, stop the vehicle. Suspect: maam this is land of the free home of the brave

9:05 i am no psychotic, please just let me continue.

10:20 suspect: those two marijuana plants in jenny's back yard, i think they are micha's. (inaudible) we were just kids.

10:37 officer: lets get three cars out in front of him and stop him.

10:50: suspect: corection i was told to head north by my father.

12:16: officer: one k-9 suspect in custody.