Suspect killed in police shoot out in Lawton

LAWTON, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - We are now learning more about the heavily armed man shot and killed by Lawton police this morning after a traffic stop and chase.

It happened outside of a home just south of downtown Lawton in the 600 block of South Main.

Crime scene investigators continue their work there Wednesday afternoon. The suspect's car is down the driveway, the back and side windows shot out.

The driveway became a crime scene completely at random this morning when 35-year-old Michael Adams of Galesburg decided to stop there while being chased by police.

When Adams stepped out of the car first with a handgun, a Lawton police officer opened fire. Adams had other weapons however.

"The driver then grabbed what turned out to be an SKS rifle and began pointing that at the officer. The officer then fired again at the individual, striking him, and at that point the driver went down," said Inspector Tracey McAndrew of the Michigan State Police.

"I woke my husband up and said I think I heard gunshots. He said call 911. Then we heard pop, pop, pop, pop, four more pops," said neighbor Chris Schmidt.

Schmidt remembers hearing at least six shots from her house across the street.

There was also a man and his son home in the house where Adams pulled in. They woke up to gunfire.

"I'm sure glad it wasn't my driveway, but it's very scary. We've always been a nice quiet town and that's too much excitement for me," said Schmidt.

Police say Adams was wanted on a felony warrant from weapons charges in Kalamazoo.

He was driving with three women in the car and they are all now being questioned by police.

Investigators don't think the suspect was able to shoot back at the officer involved, a 12 year veteran of the force.

With the firepower involved, it is just a new reminder of how often officers lives are on the line.

"You don't know what's going to come across your path and your routine could change dramatically in a matter of a split second," said Inspector McAndrew.

We tracked down the three women who were in the car with Adams and spoke to one of them. She says Adams was just giving them a ride.