Michigan State Police

CASSOPOLIS, Mich. - Cass County's prosecutor says a band of scrap metal thieves was no match for an off-duty police officer. And now, the leader of the band will pay a heavy metal price - up to life in prison. A Circuit Court jury only took 15 minutes on Wednesday to convict Anthony Cox, 57, of Edwardsburg of the crime. Prosecutor Victor Fitz says Cox is a fourth time habitual offender, and that's why he faces such a huge prison sentence. Cox has a criminal record of several theft-related felonies.

Michigan State Police seized a mobile meth lab and arrested four people in three apparently separate incidents Thursday. According to a press release, the following events happened: Police initiated a traffic stop at the intersection of 56th Avenue and Hamilton Street around 4:30 p.m. The driver continued to drive for a quarter of a mile while pouring the liquid contents of a mobile meth lab onto the floor of his car in hopes that...

BRIDGMAN — To save $21 million, Michigan's governor told state police to choose between buildings or bodies. Beginning October 1, 21 police posts will close for good, including the post in Bridgman. Every morning, Michigan State Police Trooper Matt Achterberg follows the same routine — He loads up, buckles up and hits the road for another 7 to 7. "It's never easy, but I’m not someone who likes to be up all night," said Achterberg. "So you pick your poison.

BRIDGMAN - Just two days until the state police post in Bridgman closes for good, but Michigan State Police say it will not affect the number of troopers patrolling southwest Michigan. State police are closing 29 posts across Michigan as the department deals with millions of dollars in state budget cuts. The Bridgman post is consolidating with the Niles post and three other satellite posts at the end of this week, and it's actually changing the way troopers do their job. The heavy lifting inside the Bridgman post is almost done. And troopers who call the building home will soon spend the majority of their time in squad cars - an office on wheels.

CONSTANTINE— It was a crime that shocked the small village of Constantine. Jodi Parrack, 11, left a friend’s house on her bike and never made it home. Her body was found in a nearby cemetery that night. Three years after Parrack’s death, her killer has still not been found. Instead of giving up on the investigation, police are putting forth more effort to solve the crime. “I’m determined to find this person,” said Jim Bedell, the Constantine police chief.

WHITE PIGEON, Mich. - We could learn more today about the death of a man at a paper mill in St. Joseph County, Michigan. It happened around noon Sunday at the White Pigeon Paper Company. Michigan State Police say the 61-year-old sustained a "fatal injury" but didn't provide any details, although WOOD-TV reports the victim fell into a vat at the paper company. It's unclear if the man died of natural causes or something work-related. An autopsy is planned.

Police are investigating the shooting death of a 23-year-old man in the 900 block of Lavette Avenue in Benton Harbor. CLICK HERE FOR A MAP Officers dispatched to Lavette around 2:49 a.m. Sunday found Xavier Steward of Benton Township lying on the sidewalk with a gunshot wound to the upper body. Michigan State Police were the first on scene and gave aid until medics arrived to take Steward to Lakeland Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY -- A man is in custody after leading multiple police departments on a high-speed chase through Indiana and Michigan. Around 2:00 Thursday morning, a St. Joseph County police officer stopped a driver in the area of Indiana 933 and Auten for a traffic violation. The man, who was driving a black Chevrolet Monte Carlo, took off from the scene at a high rate of speed. The driver took officers between Niles and South Bend, using U.S. 12 as a way to attempt to escape.

BERRIEN SPRINGS, Mich. - Michigan State police are investigating a multi-car crash that happened on Old U.S. 31 in Berrien County Wednesday afternoon. It happened just north of Berrien Springs, and police are urging drivers to avoid that area. 3 people were trapped. All were taken to Lakeland Hospital in St. Joseph. Berrien Springs and Orinoko police were called to the scene. Police say Old 31 was expected to be blocked to traffic because of the wreck until at least 7 p.m.

Police are looking for three suspects who robbed a store in Van Buren County late Monday afternoon, then fled with the cash. The robbery happened about 5:40 p.m. EST at the Keeler General Store, according to Michigan State Police at the Paw Paw post. Three partially masked suspects, armed with a gun as well as baseball bats, entered the store and demanded the cash. The clerk was then ordered to get down on the ground as the suspects left. Police continue their search for the three, who were seen leaving in a dark two-door sedan.

CASSOPOLIS, Mich. - Cass County's prosecutor says a band of scrap metal thieves was no match for an off-duty police officer. And now, the leader of the band will pay a heavy metal price - up to life in prison. A Circuit Court jury only took 15 minutes on Wednesday to convict Anthony Cox, 57, of Edwardsburg of the crime. Prosecutor Victor Fitz says Cox is a fourth time habitual offender, and that's why he faces such a huge prison sentence. Cox has a criminal record of several theft-related felonies.

EDWARDSBURG, Mich. - A truck and Hummer collided just west of Edwardsburg late Wednesday afternoon sending at least 2 people to the hospital. It happened around 5:15 at U.S. 12 and Conrad Road. Michigan State Police say the injuries were minor. Police say the truck was heading west on 12, while the H2 was going north. Traffic is again being allowed to flow through that intersection after it was closed for awhile.

Berrien County police say a man accused of shooting and killing a woman very early Friday morning in the 600 block of Madison Street in Benton Harbor has been caught. Isaiah Casnave was captured at the corner of Euclid and Red Arrow Hwy around 8 p.m. Saturday. Police say he was found hiding in the trunk of a vehicle, along with a handgun.   The driver was also taken into custody. Casnave and the victim, Tanita Broyles, had a one-year-old child together. Broyles had three children in total.

ST. JOSEPH, Mich. - Michigan State Police say one person was killed when a St. Joseph city truck collided with a car on Wednesday. Police say around 11:15 a.m., a car pulled out at Shoreham Road on to Lakeshore Drive into the path of a northbound Department of Public Works truck. The city truck then hit the car. Investigators say the truck driver was unable to avoid the car. The impact sent the 2009 Mercury Sable off the road. The driver of the car was trapped and had to be extricated.

A person was killed and another has minor injuries this morning in a two-car crash on Redfield Road between Gumwood Road and Ironwood Drive in Cass County. This happened just after 7 a.m., according to police dispatch.Police say 27-year-old Alan Steven of Elkhart lost control on the snow-covered road and slid into an oncoming pickup driven by 35-year-old James Heiermann of Niles. Steven was pronounced dead at the scene. Police say he was not wearing a seatbelt. Michigan State Police are investigating.

WHITE PIGEON, Mich. - We could learn more today about the death of a man at a paper mill in St. Joseph County, Michigan. It happened around noon Sunday at the White Pigeon Paper Company. Michigan State Police say the 61-year-old sustained a "fatal injury" but didn't provide any details, although WOOD-TV reports the victim fell into a vat at the paper company. It's unclear if the man died of natural causes or something work-related. An autopsy is planned.

BENTON HARBOR - Michigan State Police say alcohol was a factor when a driver tried to escape police and ended the night with the car stuck inside a building. An officer with the Niles Post tried to stop the driver for improper lane usage in Benton Township around 11 p.m. Thursday night. Police say the driver sped off into the city of Benton Harbor. The driver lost control on a curve on Union near Empire, say police, struck a building and then struck another building, coming to rest inside it. The injured suspect was taken to the hospital, say police.

The Michigan Sheriff's Association says the state has lost 3,654 police officers in the last decade. There were about 22,500 in 2001. Now, there's about 18,900. This drop means other agencies have to pick up the slack as is the case in St. Joseph County, Mich., and that extra work can put a strain on deputies. St. Joseph County, Mich. sheriff's deputy Mike McCoy spends most of his day on the road, responding to calls. "You might average three or four, which doesn't sound like a lot, but there are days when you're up to six, seven or eight," said McCoy.

BRIDGMAN, Mich. - The morning fog seems to have caused an ugly-looking traffic crash in front of the Cook Nuclear power plant near Bridgman. A car and pickup truck collided on Red Arrow Highway around 7 a.m. One person was hurt, had to be extricated from the car with the “Jaws of Life,” and was sent to the hospital. Baroda-Lake Township Police Department Interim Police Chief Shawn Martin says Cook plant emergency crews helped police and medics on the scene.

BENTON HARBOR - The Berrien County Sheriff's Department is preparing to patrol Benton Harbor City streets if they have to. On Monday, we first told you Benton Harbor's Emergency Financial Manager is considering disbanding the city's police department because the city is broke. That's one of four options Joe Harris is looking at to dig the city out of more than $2 million of debt. Since 2001, the sheriff's department has lost 16 deputies due to budget cuts, so their staffing is tight.