Alger County police chase suspect died of gunshot wound

Preliminary autopsy results are in for the Munising-area man who died after a police chase Monday night.

Michigan State Police Gladstone Post Commander Lt. Gregory Cunningham says Timothy Mitchell died as a result of injuries from a gunshot wound. A Munising Police officer shot Mitchell on Buckhorn Road in Munising Township after Mitchell crashed his car.

Lt. Cunningham said on Tuesday that Mitchell led the Munising officer on a chase following reports that a highly intoxicated driver left an altercation in Christmas. Mitchell’s vehicle matched the description of the suspect vehicle. Toxicology results are still pending, so there’s no word on whether or not Mitchell had alcohol in his system. The official autopsy report is also still pending.

The shooting took place at about 5:45 p.m. Monday. There’s no indication yet of how many times Mitchell was shot or where on his body he was hit. He died at the scene.

The Munising Police Department has placed the officer who shot Mitchell on administrative leave with pay while an investigation is in progress. He had a video camera in his patrol car, and Lt. Cunningham says Michigan State Police detectives have reviewed the video of the incident.