State Police Identify Man Fatally Shot By Lansing Township Officer, Say He 'Displayed A Gun'
LANSING (WWJ) - Michigan State Police say a man who was fatally shot by a Lansing Township police officer during a traffic stop was armed.
MSP on Tuesday identified the 27-year-old man as Lansing-area resident, Randall C. Minier.
"Mr. Minier was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by Lansing Township Police," said First Detective Sean Furlong told WWJ's Roberta Jasina on Tuesday. "Mr. Minier displayed a gun to the officer; and, as a result, one of the officers fired his service revolver."
Minier was pronounced dead at the scene.
One alleged witness, Tyrell Washington — who told the Lansing State Journal he was driving the car when it was pulled over at about 1:30 p.m. — said Minier had his hands up with the gun in the air, attempting to show the officers he was armed, "Like, 'I got a gun on me.'"
There were two additional people in the vehicle with Minier, but no one else was hurt.
Police aren't saying at this time what may have led to the traffic stop; but Furlong did add that, "due to the recent focus on officer involved shootings involving minorities," police want to make it known that Minier "was not of African-American descent."
Minier, who was a convicted felon, is listed as Hispanic on his profile on Michigan's Offender Tracking Information System. He was sentenced to two years probation for assaulting, resisting or obstructing a police officer. He also served four years in prison after he was convicted of possession of analogues (synthetic drugs) in 2009.
An MSP investigation into Minier's death continues. When it's complete, Furlong said, the findings will be turned over to the Ingham County Prosecutor's Office for review.
Autopsy results are pending.
The name of the officer who shot Minier has not been released.
Lansing Township Police Chief Kay Hoffman told MLive that both officers who were at the scene are on paid administrative leave. There's no word yet on whether they were wearing body cameras.