Traverse City Police Shoot Suspect During Domestic Assault Call on Munson Place

Traverse City police fatally shot a 50-year-old man Friday afternoon after he rose from a living room floor armed with a knife and charged at officers responding to a domestic assault call at an apartment in the 400 block of Munson Place, just off Munson Avenue.

Police Chief Matt Richmond said officers arrived around 4:45 p.m. and found the man lying on the floor when they entered the unit. When officers announced their presence, the man got up, armed with a knife, and came at them. Officers issued loud verbal commands, which the man did not follow. They then deployed a Taser, which Richmond said was ineffective, before firing their duty weapons and stopping the threat.

Life-saving measures were performed on scene, but the man died from his injuries, Richmond said.

A female victim of the domestic assault was transported to Munson Medical Center for injuries she sustained during the incident. No information on her condition has been released.

All officers who responded were uninjured. Richmond said they have been placed on paid administrative leave pending investigation, which is standard procedure in officer-involved shootings.

Richmond requested that Michigan State Police take over the investigation. Lt. Ashley Miller, public information officer for the MSP Seventh District, confirmed that the agency's special investigation section and crime lab are on scene, working alongside the Traverse City Police Department to conduct a full investigation. Miller said updates will be posted to the Michigan State Police social media page.

A press conference was held outside the Munson Place apartment building Friday night, during which Richmond provided a detailed account of the shooting. The deceased man's identity has not been publicly released, and the number of officers who discharged their weapons has not been specified by either department.