Fred R. Bletz

Deadly force

Sgt. Travis Gribble and deputy Brent Denny went to Fred Bletz's house at about 11:40 p.m. to arrest his son for a misdemeanor. The deputies reportedly didn't turn on sirens, didn't flash bright lights and parked 35 feet away from the house. The deputies spoke to Bletz's son outside before he went inside to get his shoes. The officers followed him. Bletz, who'd been asleep, was awakened by his son's barking dog. Family members said Bletz approached the deputies in the dimly lit room while pointing a handgun at them, concerned they were intruders. The deputies reportedly told Bletz to put down the gun, but accounts differ as to whether they properly identified themselves as police. Gribble fired four shots at Bletz, killing him. Ionia County Sheriff Dwain Dennis said Bletz might have been legally protecting his home, but that didn't make the shooting unjustified. In June 2009, US District Court Judge Robert J. Jonker said Gribble and Denny illegally entered the home and shot Bletz without clearly identifying themselves. In 2012, Bletz's family reached a $3 million settlement with Ionia County.