Hillsdale MP, suspect dead after traffic stop

JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — A Hillsdale County Sheriff’s deputy and a suspect died following a traffic stop Thursday.

It happened in the area of ​​Beecher Road and Lamb Road in Jefferson Township, according to Michigan State Police.

At approximately 2:15 p.m., a Hillsdale County Sheriff’s deputy attempted to arrest a police suspect identified as Eric Fiddler. When the deputy tried to arrest him, investigators said Fiddler pulled out a handgun, shot the deputy and fled.

The deputy, who police did not identify, was taken to a hospital where he later died.

The search for Fiddler lasted for hours and ended around 6:15 p.m. in a field near the intersection of Culbert Road and Osseo Road in Adams Township. When officers found him, police said Fiddler fired at officers and was killed in the shootout.

Fiddler had a known criminal history and multiple warrants for his arrest, MSP said.

The investigation into the shooting is ongoing.