HILLSDALE COUNTY, Mich. — The Hillsdale County Sheriff's Office shared more details about the line-of-duty death of one of their own.
Deputy William Henry Butler Jr., 51, was shot during a traffic stop in Jefferson Township Thursday afternoon.
"Deputy William Butler was a great police officer, a retired veteran of the Armed forces and a friend to all," Sheriff Scott Hodshire said. "William Butler will never be forgotten."
Sheriff Hodshire asked the community to keep the Butler Family in their prayers.
Deputy Butler was backing up another law enforcement officer during a traffic stop in rural Hillsdale County around 6:15 p.m. Thursday.
Authorities said the passenger inside the stopped car refused to identify himself, but law enforcement identified him as 34-year-old Eric Michael Fiddler from Jonesville.
That's when deputies learned he had warrants out for his arrest, and when they tried to arrest him, a fight broke out.
The Detective Sergeant, the other law enforcement officer working the stop, tried to use his taser to subdue Fiddler but it didn't work.
The sheriff's department said Fiddler took out a gun from his waistband and shot Deputy Butler.
Another deputy rushed Deputy Butler to the hospital where he later died.
Fiddler was at large for some time, but authorities eventually tracked him down about 2 miles from where the initial shooting happened.
Michigan State Police said that around 6:15 p.m. they located Fiddler in a field near the intersection of Culbert Road and Osseo Road South.
Members of the MSP Emergency Support Team asked Fiddler to surrender. He instead pulled out a gun and fired at officers. Police shot and killed him.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer shared her condolences with the family and the department.
"My heart goes out to the family and loved ones of Sheriff’s Deputy William Butler, who was killed while serving the communities of Hillsdale County. Dedicated officers like Deputy Butler work hard every day to keep Michiganders safe and his sacrifice will not be forgotten," Gov. Whitmer said.
Numerous law enforcement agencies across Michigan have shared somber messages about the loss of Deputy Butler.
This is the second law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty in Michigan this week.
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