Calhoun County hunter helps police locate suspect in hit-and run crash

EMMET TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A hunter in Emmet Township helped police locate a man who police said fled the scene of a crash.

A hunter in the woods on the opening day of firearm deer season said he saw a man looking suspiciously at his ATV. After having a brief conversation with the man, he called 911 to report what happened.

The hunter didn’t know it at the time, but the man he met was a wanted fugitive who was the subject of an active manhunt. Police had been searching for a 28-year-old Battle Creek man who had outstanding warrants and had been involved in a hit-and-run crash earlier Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, morning on Michigan Avenue.

Police said the Battle Creek man had rammed another vehicle, one his girlfriend was in, multiple times and continued to drive after that vehicle. He was driving erratically and caused a multi-vehicle crash before his vehicle went off the road and stopped working.

He ran into the woods after the crash, which is where the hunter encountered him. The tip helped police track down the Battle Creek man and take him into custody.

The Battle Creek man is facing several charges, including assault with a vehicle, according to police.

---> Michigan’s firearm deer hunting season begins Nov. 15: What to know