From the Desk of Sheriff Abbott – 10/10/2025
Welcome Kirk Graham to our Animal Control Division. Deputy Graham brings 21 years of experience from a Sheriff’s Office, 9 of which were in animal control. We are excited to welcome him to our team/family. Uniform Response handled 902 calls for service in September and had 291 traffic stops. For the year they are now at 7,685 calls for service with 3,733 traffic stops. Uniform Response had a Flee & Elude in the Village of Decatur. The pursuit went through the village and ended in Decatur Township after the suspect went off road. With a drone in the air and the area being surrounded by law enforcement, the suspect walked out of the cornfield and was placed in custody. The suspect advised he fled due to warrants for his arrest. The vehicle didn’t have insurance, had a license plate on it taken off a vehicle from a junk yard, and had meth in it. The driver also had a revoked driver’s license. He now faces several charges for the incident. Uniform Response handled a Road Rage Incident in Waverly Township. The victim pulled out in front of the suspect which made him go into a rage. The suspect passed the victim pulling a trailer almost running them off the road causing a crash. The suspect pulled in where the victim went, got out, and grabbed a chainsaw out of the bed of his truck. The saw wouldn’t start, so he physically assaulted the female victim. He fled the scene, but Deputies were able to track him down and arrest him for the incident. Detectives from our office attended a Specialized Training hosted by Safe Harbor, a Child Advocacy Center that has an office here in our county that we use. The training brought together a wide range of professionals including prosecutors, DHS case workers, and law enforcement officers. A lot of information was given and discussed involving victims in different related cases involving children. Uniform Response handled a Domestic Violence Incident in Geneva Township. The investigation found that the wife poured gas on the husband’s company vehicle in attempting to burn it. It was also found she poured gas all through the residence during the altercation. The report is being reviewed by the Prosecutor's Office for charges. Several Deputies attended a Legal Update Class hosted in Ottawa County this week. Updated laws, different cases are gone over, scenarios etc. These classes are important for our office to keep up with the ever-changing statutes and case laws. Dispatcher Melissa Dunckel was awarded a Letter of Commendation for her police radio traffic she done on a SWAT Call Out that helped our Team tremendously with a positive outcome. Dispatcher Brooke Smith and Dispatcher Brianna Dobberstein were awarded Life Saving Awards for their handling of two lifesaving incidents 3 minutes apart on July 4th. Great job once again by all 3 of these Dispatchers listed.
