


Michigan State Police Troopers Elie Awad and Trevor Rogers, both from the Lakeview Post, were two of five troopers in the state honored last Friday, February 18, with a citation for bravery. It was one part of the annual awards ceremony which celebrated 60 department members who earned promotion, achieved 35 years of service, or were awarded other special recognitions.
The Citation for Bravery is awarded when a member knowingly performs an act in the line of duty which endangers or exposes him or herself to serious injury and when, because of the nature of the action, a life may be saved, a serious crime prevented, or a person arrested who has committed a serious crime.
Troopers Awad and Rogers were given the award for their response to an armed subject who fired upon law enforcement.
According to Public Information Officer Spl/Lt. Michelle Robinson, on the afternoon of February 21, 2021, Troopers Awad and Rogers responded to a call of a male with a long gun standing in traffic in the Edmore area in Montcalm County. The incident occurred in the 9700 block of North Wyman Road, and it was reported that the armed subject was exhibiting irrational behavior. The suspect, later identified as Andrew Allen Courser, age 38, from Edmore, was firing his weapon near residences and yelling at passing motorists.
While the troopers were enroute to the location, the call was updated to report that the male was now attempting to gain access to an occupied residence. Additionally, it was reported that the suspect was armed with an AK-47 rifle and a handgun.
Upon arriving at the residence, the troopers approached on foot in knee-deep snow and soon encountered the armed subject. The troopers gave loud verbal commands for him to drop his weapon, which he refused to do. Instead, he turned and fired several rounds from the rifle at Troopers Awad and Rogers. The two troopers attempted to take cover in the open area, with Trooper Awad returning fire to force the subject to take cover himself, giving the troopers the critical time they needed to seek better cover.
Trooper Awad reported seeing rounds hitting the snow dangerously close to his position. And later, an evidence technician found 15 rounds that were fired by the subject.
From their position, the troopers spotted the man moving north on a nearby road but chose not to fire again due to approaching traffic. The armed subject fled to a nearby barn, and the troopers took quick action to evacuate a family out of a home on the property.
During this time, Trooper Awad continuously updated responding units of the fluid situation. His communication was clear, concise, and well understood, which allowed perimeters to be established and response plans to be made.
Members of the MSP Emergency Support Team, Aviation, and Canine were dispatched to the scene. After an approx. four-hour stand-off, Courser emerged from the barn with the firearm and was confronted by Emergency Support Team members. Courser did not obey commands to drop the weapon and instead leveled it at troopers, who fatally shot him when he didn’t comply with their commands to drop the firearm.
The quick actions of Trooper Awad and Trooper Rogers to engage the suspect and put him on the defense, potentially saved the lives of nearby civilians around the scene. As a result of their brave actions, no other civilians or MSP personnel were injured.
In awarding the Michigan State Police Bravery Award, the Board of Awards found that these troopers knowingly endangered their own lives in order to protect others.
The other troopers cited for bravery included Tpr. Eric Morrow, of the First District, for his response to a head-on traffic crash on US-127 in Ingham County that occurred in August 2021; Tpr. Jacob Strong, of the Alpena Post, for the safe rescue of two persons trapped inside a burning home; and Tpr. Jason DeVries, of the Niles Post, who was shot while conducting a traffic stop.