Posted on 07/09/2003 5:52:58 AM PDT by Vigilant1
DAYTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) ? Fire burned the rural home of a man who barricaded himself inside during a deadly police standoff, but authorities were unable to find him when they searched the rubble, Michigan State Police said.
Two hours after the Tuesday afternoon fire, officials found a backpack filled with food and ammunition about three-quarters of a mile away, said Tracy Pardo, a state police communications officer.
The wife of the barricaded man, Scott Allen Woodring, 40, identified the backpack as her husband's, Pardo told the Detroit Free Press for a Wednesday story.
State police said Woodring was believed to be inside when they fired a concussion grenade into the house, which went up in flames a short time later. They were uncertain whether the explosive device, intended to stun Woodring, started the fire or if he set it.
State police scheduled a news conference for Wednesday morning.
Trooper Kevin Marshall, a 33-year-old married father of two and a native of Sterling Heights, was shot Monday afternoon during the standoff. He died later during surgery at a Grand Rapids hospital.
State police were called in after the confrontation erupted Sunday night.
Woodring barricaded himself when officers from the Hesperia Police Department and the Newaygo County Sheriff's Department tried to serve him at his Dayton Township home with a felony arrest warrant. The township is adjacent to Fremont, about 30 miles northeast of Muskegon.
The warrant accuses Woodring of soliciting a minor for sex on July 1 at a gas station, The Grand Rapids Press reported.
Several hours into the standoff, police helped Woodring's wife escape the home, leaving him alone inside.
After Woodring allegedly fired two shots from the house on Monday afternoon, the State Police Emergency Support Team stormed inside and then withdrew. Marshall, an eight-year state police veteran who served on the team, was shot at that time.
When asked whether Marshall could have been hit by a bullet shot by another officer, state police Inspector Barry Getzen said the matter remained under investigation and authorities would examine evidence to "determine what rounds the officer was hit with."
Tom Wayne, former chief of staff and executive officer of the Michigan Militia Corps Wolverines, told The Detroit News that Woodring was active in the group until the mid-1990s. They parted ways over ideological differences.
"He started getting more and more into the Christian Identity movement," said Wayne, who said the militia is largely inactive now.
The movement espouses racist, sexist, anti-Semitic and homophobic beliefs.
Woodring's sister, Debbie DeVisser, of Mount Pleasant, described her brother as a deeply religious man who would help anyone and not ask for anything in return.
Asked if she thought he would shoot at someone, DeVisser said, "Scott would not shoot anybody to harm anybody. The only reason he would have shot (at police) was because he felt threatened and to protect himself."
DeVisser said she wished police had allowed family members to talk to Woodring on Tuesday and speculated that family may have been able to talk him out. Relatives were allowed to converse with him on Monday, the same day police said they last spoke with him during the standoff.
Suzie Burdick, of Everett Township in Newaygo County, said she and Woodring have been close friends for five years. She said they have attended the same church for about a year and often spoke several times a day, mostly about the Bible.
Burdick noted that while Woodring holds strong anti-government views, he was a nonviolent person.
"He's the most loving person I've ever known, just about. He's kind, considerate, loving, caring and loved his wife dearly," Burdick said.
Meanwhile, Gov. Jennifer Granholm has ordered flags at all state buildings to be lowered to half-staff until sundown of the day of Marshall's funeral. Funeral arrangements have not yet been completed, according to her office.
Marshall is the 49th Michigan State Police trooper to die in the line of duty. His death is the department's first in three years.
You eat that early? For the majority of my working life, I didn't get off work until 4:30-5:30 p.m. By the time I got home from work & put dinner on the table, it's more like 5:30-7 p.m.
I consider 4 p.m. afternoon--late afternoon, perhaps, but still in the afternoon.
That would almost have to entail a fully automatic weapon wouldn't it? Even a semi-auto at close range wouldn't plug four rounds into a fast moving small area target like that.
That murder charge is in the death of State Trooper Kevin Marshall. A preliminary pathology report from Dr. Cole, a forensic pathologist, reports that Officer Marshall was shot four times by a small caliber, high velocity weapon. Officers on the scene at the time were all carrying larger caliber weapons.
No. A multi-barrel trap gun would do nicely.
Dr. Cole is a Kent County pathologist.
Kent County is where the hospital is where Trp Marshall died.
Dr. Cole is top notch, and honest.
Still, I'll concede your point. However, why mention the difference in times, in the article, unless there was some doubt?
Hard to believe the guy could just slip out.
On one of the news story articles yesterday, one of the photos clearly showed them toting AR varients.
Something isn't adding up again.
He had years to prepare for this.
State police said Woodring was believed to be inside when they fired a concussion grenade into the house, which went up in flames a short time later. They were uncertain whether the explosive device, intended to stun Woodring, started the fire or if he set it.
Yep, the most logical thing for a person to do, while barricaded in a house, is set it on fire and burn to death./sarcasm
These jerkoffs know those grenades start fires. Its not like it has never happened before.
I don't think we know that for sure yet. This may be a case of 'friendly fire'.
Trap gun.
Someone yesterday speculated "friendly fire" given he was shot in the side.
The coroner's already ruled that out--rounds were of a smaller caliber than what any of the cops were carrying.
Hard to believe the guy could just slip out.
The township and the county, together, had ten police/sherriff's deputies.
You betcha. This is really getting bizarre. I am still a little stunned they didn't find his body in the debris. Jezzzz!
Lock up the little girls.
Colt makes a 9MM version of the CAR.
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