ROSCOMMON COUNTY (WWJ) - A wellness check in Roscommon County turned deadly on Wednesday evening after a 53-year-old resident was killed by police after he pointed a firearm in their direction.
Michigan State Police said they are handling the investigation into the fatal incident that unfolded on July 5 around 10:45 p.m. at a home in Prudenville.
According to troopers, an officer with the Denton Township Police Department and a deputy from the Roscommon County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the located to preform a wellness check.
"Police established verbal contact with the resident, 53-year-old Barry Eugene Phillips, who was armed with a gun outside of his residence," MSP stated.
The two officers tried to negotiate with the man and get him to put down the weapon, but he went back into his home and retrieved a long gun.
When Phillips aimed the weapon at law enforcement, the Denton Township officer fired his weapon and struck the man.
Immediate life-saving measures were provided at the scene, but the man was pronounced dead after his arrival to the Mid-Michigan Hospital in West Branch.
The police chief of the Denton Township PD requested MSP to conduct a review into the case. MSP's Forensic Science Laboratory from Grayling, the MPS Seventh District Investigative Response Team, out of Gaylord, are spearheading the investigation, which is ongoing at this time.
Per department protocol, the Denton Township police officer who discharged his weapon was placed on administrative leave pending the results of the investigation.
When complete, the findings will be passed on to the prosecutor's office for review.
No other details have been released.