An 80-year-old man living in a small city in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is in the hospital with serious injuries after an ATV driver apparently ran him over as he put up a sign in his front yard to show his support for the candidacy of former President Donald Trump.
On Sunday, police received reports of three attacks likely tied to the same suspect in Hancock, Michigan, a small city at the base of the Keweenaw Peninsula, the stretch of land that juts out into Lake Superior in the northwestern area of the state’s Upper Peninsula.
‘We’re not sure what could happen. Could he die from these injuries? Possible.’
Two of the incidents involved “intentionally vandalized” vehicles, a press release from the City of Hancock Police Department said. On one car, “the tire valves were broken off,” while the other had all its windows “smashed … out,” added Hancock Police Chief Tami Sleeman.
However, the third incident may cost an elderly man his life.
On Sunday afternoon, an unidentified 80-year-old man was attempting to put Trump signs back up in the front yard of his home along the 1400 block of Anthony Street after the ATV driver suspected in the vandalism incidents allegedly pulled the signs down. Around 5:45 p.m., while the man was still working on the signs, the ATV driver allegedly returned to the home and struck the man with his vehicle.
The victim was rushed to UP Health System hospital in Portage, where he remains in critical condition. Reports say he may have suffered a “brain bleed.”
“We’re not sure what could happen. Could he die from these injuries? Possible,” Sleeman said.
Not only do police believe the ATV driver is involved in all three incidents, but they also believe that all three incidents may have been “politically motivated.” “The subject appeared to target both Trump and Law Enforcement supporters,” the police press release said.
Police soon identified a suspect, but the individual has likely already died. On Monday, Hancock PD reportedly received a call from someone who wanted to “confess a crime involving an ATV driver within the last 24 hours.” The person also requested a ride.
Hancock police and Houghton County Sheriff’s Office then went to the address associated with the caller. There, officers and deputies discovered “a 22-year-old male suspect … found deceased with a single self-inflicted gunshot wound,” a statement from the sheriff’s office said.
At the suspect’s residence, investigators allegedly found “the four-wheeler used during the incident in the city.” They also confiscated electronic devices that will be subjected to forensic analysis. The suspect’s name has not been released.
Investigations into the incidents remain ongoing, and “there is no further threat to the public at this time,” the statement from the sheriff’s office added.
H/T: Libs of TikTok
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Crime, Atv, Hancock, Michigan, Upper peninsula, Politics
