Michigan State Police Troopers from the Lakeview Post are looking for Eric David Kramer, 45, of Sidney Township. He is wanted for assaulting his wife and threatening to kill her with a handgun over the weekend.

Troopers responded to the felonious assault call involving a firearm on Carlson Rd north of W. Sidney Rd at about 2 a.m., Sunday, September 1.

The investigation found that Kramer had assaulted his wife, Jennifer Callaghan. He threatened her at her residence on Carlson Rd with what was said to be a five-shot revolver handgun, with white handle. He pointed the handgun at her and advised that “either he or she would die tonight.” Kramer then grabbed her by the hair and dragged her to her car where he then struck her with the revolver on the left temple causing injury. He continued to assault her by throwing her on the ground and forcing his body weight on her. Jennifer was able to get back into the vehicle and drive off. Kramer then got into his vehicle and left the residence. Jennifer followed him but disengaged at southbound M-66 and Sidney Rd. Troopers searched several locations in the area, however Kramer was unable to be located.

Kramer was said to be driving a 2014 Toyota Camry, white in color, bearing Georgia plate RAX2688. Vehicle was also said to have a sheet metal union workers sticker in the back window.

Suspect is believed to be armed and dangerous. If located please use caution.

State Police were assisted on scene by, Montcalm EMS and Montcalm County Central Dispatch.

By Judy Reed

The Kent County Prosecutor’s Office has denied charges in the case of Nelson Township resident Scott Britton confronting Tom Norton, the President of the Village of Sand Lake. 

Britton is the husband of Robyn Britton, the Supervisor of Nelson Township. Both Robyn and Norton are running for the Nelson Supervisor seat in next Tuesday’s election, and tensions are running high in the community. 

The confrontation occurred the evening of Wednesday, July 18, after Scott Britton was made aware that someone had put used toilet paper on his wife’s office door. Nelson Township and the Village of Sand Lake share offices in a municipal building there.

The Kent County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 100 block of W. Lake Street sometime after 8:15 p.m. on the night of July 18, on the report of threats/assault.

Norton said he had just gotten back from Indiana that day and was at a resident’s home, speaking with him outside about an upcoming tree removal, when a vehicle pulled up and a man got out and yelled, “Are you Thomas Norton?”

“I said yes and he then violently moved towards my direction and stated, ‘I’m Scott Britton and I’m going to %$#@ kill you,” Norton later wrote in an application for a personal protection order. “He then raised his hand and pointed it toward me. I was 98 percent certain he was going to do something. He then screamed, ‘Did you S#$% paper my wife’s door Tuesday night?”

Norton said he told him no, that he was in Indiana. He said that Britton told him he didn’t believe him, that he was a liar, and stated again he was going to kill him. Norton then began to record the conversation as Britton moved away, and told him again that he was in Indiana and could prove it. Britton then yelled that Norton would need a restraining order when he proved he did it. He then left.

Norton pressed charges against Britton, saying he had concerns for the safety of his family.

Norton gave the Post a copy of a receipt showing he was in Indiana when he said he was, but Robyn Britton said she actually discovered the used toilet paper on her door the morning of July 12, not the day before the confrontation. She said her husband didn’t know when it occurred, because she didn’t tell him about it. Instead, she said someone in the office mentioned it to him on July 17, thinking he knew. Then her husband saw Norton outside on the night of July 18 and confronted him.

Robyn didn’t report the occurrence initially. She said the only people that could have done it would have needed a key—and that would mean they would have been a member of the staff of either Sand Lake or Nelson Township, the police department, or the fire department. “I was just hoping to get through all of this to the election. The date couldn’t come soon enough for me,” she said.

But after the confrontation occurred between her husband and Norton, she told one of the detectives at the Kent County Sheriff’s Office about all that had been occurring recently: the unproven accusation of her interfering in Sand Lake’s search of a Village clerk; the cease and desist letters sent by Norton’s attorney to four women, including herself, demanding that they retract statements made about him; the toilet paper on her door, etc. “I wanted them to understand why Scott had gotten so mad and I wanted it on file in case anything else happened,” she said. She also said that she couldn’t prove who put the toilet paper on her door.

Norton said he would also like to find out who did it, and would be willing to take a lie detector test to prove he didn’t do it.

On Tuesday, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker told the Post that charges in the incident between Scott Britton and Tom Norton had been denied. “From our review of the report there were no punches thrown, no physical contact, the most physical action described in the report was a ‘hand out in a pointing fashion.’ Words were exchanged, but there is not enough here to file any sort of assault charges under these circumstances,” he said.

Norton was notified by the detective on the case. “I can understand not pressing charges because they think he’ll calm down after the election, but I’m still concerned about my family,” he said. “There was enough in the report for me to get the PPO.”

He also will be glad to see the end of the election. His supporters have told him of other people demanding that they take his signs down out of their yards. “We have lost 36 signs in the last 24 hours,” he said.

Robyn Britton said she hasn’t had anything to do with that. “No one in my family has touched a Tom Norton sign. I feel bad for him about that. I know how expensive they are and wouldn’t want someone touching mine,” she said.

See results of next Tuesday’s election in next week’s Post.

Devin Sebastian Tumbleson

A Crystal Township woman is in critical condition after a man she was riding with strangled her and pushed her from the vehicle.

According to the Montcalm County Sheriff Office, on Monday, May 23, two people were traveling on Berridge Road, in Eureka Township, south of Fenwick Road, looking for morel mushrooms, about 7:16 p.m., when they heard someone calling for help.

The two found a 19-year-old woman from Crystal, and she was badly injured, so the two took her to Spectrum United Memorial Hospital in Greenville for treatment. Montcalm County Sheriff’s Office responded to United Memorial regarding the assault victim. The Crystal woman told the deputy that she was traveling with a man in his car and that a disagreement arose between the two. The woman reported that the man became irate and assaulted her, including strangling her and pushing her out of his vehicle.

The victim was later flown from United Memorial to Spectrum Butterworth in Grand Rapids via AeroMed.

The suspect, identified as Devin Sebastian Tumbleson, age 28 from Belding, was initially arrested for aggravated assault and lodged at the Montcalm County Jail.

He was later charged with Assault With Intent To Do Great Bodily Harm Less Than Murder and Assault By Strangulation. Tumbleson was arraigned Tuesday afternoon and he remains behind bars with a $25,000.00 bond.

Police said the man and woman knew each other but were not involved in an intimate relationship.

The Crystal woman remains in the hospital listed in Critical Condition.

The Ionia County Sheriff’s Office and the Michigan State Police assisted the Sheriff’s Office.

The case remains under investigation.

Adam Lee Dickinson

The Cedar Springs man who choked his girlfriend and was involved in a standoff with police for several hours last summer has been sentenced to serve between two and 10 years in prison.

The event started on Wednesday, July 22, 2015, when police received a frantic 911 call from a woman at 348 S. Sarah Street, in Cedar Springs Mobile Estates, who said that her boyfriend, identified as Adam Lee Dickinson, 24, had choked her and that he was armed with a shotgun. He had forced her out of the home, holding the gun in one hand, and their one-year-old girl in the other.

The Kent County Sheriff Department, assisted by the Michigan State Police, responded to the scene, shortly before 8 p.m., July 22, and secured a perimeter around the residence. They also blocked off intersections leading to the residence. Several hours were spent giving verbal commands through a loudspeaker. Police repeatedly told the man to exit the home, but they got no response. Kent County Sheriff Department Hostage Negotiators were also called to the scene to assist, however, Dickinson refused to communicate with them.

The Kent County Sheriff Department Tactical Team also responded and utilized several methods, including the deployment of cameras, to monitor Dickinson and ensure the child was not injured inside the home.

After a several hour standoff, the Tactical Team entered the residence and took Dickinson into custody. The one year old child was rescued and in good spirits when she was turned over to her mother. The Sheriff Department said two members of the Tactical Team suffered minor injuries while taking Dickinson into custody.

Dickinson was originally charged with unlawful Imprisonment; two counts of Assault by Strangulation; two counts of Resisting and Obstructing a Police Officer Causing Injury; and child abuse-3^rd degree. As part of a plea deal, all but three of the charges were dismissed. Dickinson will serve one to four years on each of the resisting and obstructing a police officer counts, and two to 10 years on the assault by strangulation charge.

Robert Parkey

A man who tried to run over a Cedar Springs woman with his pickup truck is in jail on assault charges.

According to Cedar Springs Police Chief Roger Parent, the couple left a Newaygo bar on Labor Day, September 2, after arguing. They drove to Cedar Springs, where the woman lived on S. First Street. After arguing in her apartment, the man left, but returned within minutes. The man reportedly wanted money, and the woman went outside and threw some at him. After getting the money, the man got into his pickup truck and tried to run her over. As he sped towards the woman, she jumped out of the way. The vehicle ran over a curb, light pole, and then struck the front of the apartment building, causing damage to a large glass window. The man then backed up and sped away.

Officer Chad Tucker responded to the scene, and obtained statements from the victim and witnesses. A message was sent to area police agencies to be on the lookout for this truck. “Knowing the name of the suspect and where he might be heading helped,” said Parent. Within hours the Michigan State Police located the vehicle abandoned in Newaygo County. The vehicle had been reported stolen a few days earlier by the Muskegon Township Police Department.

On Tuesday evening, September 3, Officer Tucker was contacted by the Newaygo County Sheriff Department that they had picked up the suspect. Robert James Parkey, 47, of White Cloud, was arrested and lodged in the Kent County Jail. A warrant was authorized by the Prosecutor’s Office for Assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, and Receiving and Concealing stolen property-vehicle. He will also face being a Habitual Offender 4^th. His bond was set at $60,000 and he was still in custody at press time.

The 45-year-old female victim will have to answer to the 78^th District Court in Newaygo as to why she was with this man. There was a current “Bond Conditional Release” no contact order that had the female listed as a protected person from Robert James Parkey. The court order was issued back on August 22.

Zebariah Gillons

It took eight months, but a Sand Lake man has been found guilty of assaulting a Grand Rapids man who was visiting Cedar Springs for Red Flannel Day.

According to Cedar Springs Police Chief Roger Parent, there were a number of minor fights on Red Flannel weekend in October 2012. This incident took place inside the Gun Tavern, 18 N. Main Street at 1:45 a.m. on October 7.

Officers were dispatched to a fight in progress. Upon arrival they found one man unconscious on the floor and covered in blood. Witnesses told police that the suspect had fled the scene. Additional officers responded to clear the bar, while fire rescue and ambulance personnel treated the victim.

Chief Parent said that the victim, 35 of Grand Rapids, was attending Red Flannel festivities with a female friend and they were inside the Gun Tavern for a late night drink. A male acquaintance of the female, who once dated her, saw the two and confronted them. According to witnesses, the suspect, without any provocation, hit the victim at least four or five times. After the victim fell to the floor, the suspect then continued to kick him in the face.

Police charged Zebariah William Gillons, 28, of Sand Lake, with aggravated assault, and he finally went to trial on June 13, and was found guilty. He will have a presentence hearing on June 19 at 2 p.m. in 63^rd District Court.

“I wanted to publicly thank the witnesses who took the time to tell officers the night of the incident what they saw and later made themselves available to testify in court,” said Chief Parent. “I believe this case weighed heavily on witness testimony.”

The Montcalm County Sheriff Department is looking for the man who assaulted a Stanton woman Sunday evening.

According to police, the 23-year-old woman was walking near a small lake in the Colby Ranch game area in Sidney Township about 10:30 p.m., on Sunday, July 1, when a man driving a red car approached her. The man reportedly made sexual advances toward the woman and became hostile when she refused. He then attacked and choked the woman, and attempted to sexually assault her. She was able to escape and call 911.

The suspect is described as a white male, 5-feet-11-inches, 30 to 40 years old, 250 pounds, with a big gut and shiny, bald head. He was wearing sunglasses, a red t-shirt, and cut-off blue jean shorts. The suspect vehicle was described a long red car, possibly an Oldsmobile.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 989-831-5253.

Austin Mosher

A Cedar Springs man who pled guilty to an assault last summer has now been charged with two counts of criminal sexual conduct and other charges.

According to Cedar Springs Police Chief Roger Parent and 63rd District Court, Austin Lee Mosher, 20, has been charged with one count of Criminal Sexual Conduct 3rd degree (incapacitated victim) and one count of CSC 4th degree (incapacitated victim), both felonies.  He was given a $10,000 10 percent bond on the charges and remains in custody.

He also has a separate charge of possession of drug paraphernalia (through the Kent County Sheriffs Department), and three separate cases of probation violation.

The probation violations are related to the assault case last spring, when he wandered up a stranger’s driveway in a drunken state, threatened to kill the man who lived there, and head butted and punched a dinner guest of the family, fracturing the man’s nose. Mosher pled guilty to aggravated assault, but two other counts—resisting/obstructing police and disorderly conduct/public drunkenness—were dismissed as part of the plea deal. He was sentenced to a 335 days in jail, which was suspended, as long as he served 30 days on a tether and abided by the terms of his probation. One of the violations involves not completing his tether, and the others have to do with not completing counseling and restitution.

Mosher will have a preliminary hearing on all the charges on March 21 at 2:45 p.m.

Austin Mosher

An Algoma Township man arrested for head-butting a stranger and fracturing his nose last summer pled no contest to aggravated assault as part of a plea agreement Monday.
Austin Lee Mosher, 19, was originally charged with aggravated assault, resisting/obstructing a police officer and disorderly conduct/public drunkenness for his behavior on July 23. The suspect had been visiting a friend in Northland Estates, off Northland Drive, when he wandered across the street into a neighbor’s yard, visibly intoxicated, and threatened to kill the man living at the home if he didn’t stand still and talk to him. He then head-butted and punched a Grand Rapids man, who was a dinner guest of the family and just leaving the home. The family had never met the suspect before.
The man wandered away, and the family called police. Officers arrived to find the incoherent subject sitting in a vehicle that was not his. Police said the suspect did not comply with verbal commands, and one officer was ready with a TASER, while others ordered the 19-year-old man to the ground. The suspect again became aggressive, fighting and kicking at officers. An ambulance was called to transport the suspect to an area hospital due to his unknown condition and combative behavior.
Under the plea agreement, Mosher pled no contest to the aggravated assault charge, and the other two counts—resisting/obstructing a police officer and disorderly conduct/public drunkness—were dismissed. He was sentenced to 335 days in jail, which was suspended, as long as he serves 30 days on a tether and abides by the terms of his probation. He also must pay $100 in restitution, $855 in state and court costs, and $250 in attorney fees.

A verbal confrontation that got out of control resulted in a Cedar Springs teen being arrested on several charges last week.

According to Cedar Springs Police Chief Roger Parent, Officer Many Stahl responded to an assault complaint on Friday, August 5 at 6:25 p.m. The complainant explained that he was driving through the Cedar Springs Mobile Estates and slowed for a speed bump. A person walking nearby then crossed directly in front of his vehicle, causing the driver, a 27-year-old, to come to a complete stop. His female passenger commented to this person that he didn’t need to cut in front of them. The pedestrian, Allan Mitchell McKay, 18, then began to yell at them and threatened to beat them up.

Being challenged, the driver got out of the car and the argument continued. The 21-year-old female passenger got out soon afterward and became involved in the argument. When McKay got up close to the woman, she pushed him back and he reportedly swung at her.  She avoided being hit in the face by raising her arm to block the blow. The couple got back into their vehicle, and McKay ran to a nearby mobile home and returned with a bat before they drove away. McKay swung the bat at the driver, hitting the doorjamb and causing over a $1000.00 worth of damage.

The prosecutor reviewed the report this week and charges were issued. Allan McKay was arrested and charged with a felony MDOP—malicious destruction of property over a $1,000.00; assault with a dangerous weapon-felony assault; and assault and battery. He was given a $5,000.00 cash surety bond and he was released Tuesday. His preliminary exam is set for August 24 at 1:45 p.m.

Chief Roger Parent said that there are ways to keep situations from escalating.

“It’s unfortunate that these kinds of situations rise to a level of violence,” said Parent. “When involved with a verbal confrontation, it is never a good idea to stop your vehicle or get out and confront the other person. The right thing to do is to get away from the situation however possible.  In this case the actions of each individual escalated the threat level. “

Austin Mosher

An Algoma Township man arrested for head-butting another man and fracturing his nose last month has pled not guilty to that charge and two others.

Austin Lee Mosher, 19, entered the plea in Kent County’s 63rd District Wednesday during his arraignment on charges of aggravated assault, resisting/obstructing a police officer and disorderly conduct/public drunkenness.

Cedar Springs Police responded to a disorderly subject call about 10 p.m. Saturday, July 23, on Beckett Blvd in Northland Estates Mobile Home Park. While enroute, they received additional calls that this person had assaulted a citizen who was outside in their driveway.

Officers arrived to find an incoherent subject sitting in a vehicle that was not his. Police said the suspect did not comply with verbal commands, and one officer was ready with a TASER, while others ordered the 19-year-old man to the ground. The suspect again became aggressive, fighting and kicking at officers. An ambulance was called to transport the suspect to an area hospital due to his unknown condition and combative behavior.

Investigating officers learned that the suspect had injured a 26-year-old Grand Rapids man, after he head-butted him in the nose. According to witnesses, the suspect wandered into the yard, and threatened to kill the man living at the home if he didn’t stand still and talk to him, and then head-butted and punched the Grand Rapids man, who was a dinner guest of the family and just leaving the home. The family had never met the suspect before.

The court set a date of August 30 at 10 a.m. for a pretrial hearing. A cash/surety bond of $2,500 was continued, and the suspect was ordered to have no contact with the victim.

An Algoma Township man is facing charges of aggravated assault and resisting/obstructing a police officer after he wandered into a Cedar Springs couple’s yard and assaulted a man he didn’t know.

Cedar Springs Police responded to a disorderly subject call about 10 p.m. Saturday, July 23, on Beckett Blvd in Northland Estates Mobile Home Park. While enroute, they received additional calls that this person had assaulted a citizen who was outside in their driveway.

Officers arrived to find an incoherent subject sitting in a vehicle that was not his. Police said the suspect did not comply with verbal commands, and one officer was ready with a TASER, while others ordered the 19-year-old man to the ground. The suspect again became aggressive, fighting and kicking at officers. An ambulance was called to transport the suspect to an area hospital due to his unknown condition and combative behavior.

Investigating officers learned that the suspect had injured a 26-year-old Grand Rapids man, after he head-butted him in the nose. According to witnesses, the suspect wandered into the yard, and threatened to kill the man living at the home if he didn’t stand still and talk to him, and then head-butted and punched the Grand Rapids man, who was a dinner guest of the family and just leaving the home. The family had never met the suspect before. The victim was treated at an area hospital for a fractured nose.

On Monday, July 25, police obtained an arrest warrant and arrested the suspect on charges of aggravated assault, disorderly conduct, and resisting and obstructing a police officer. He posted a $2,500 bond and was released. His name will be released after his arraignment in 63rd District Court on August 3. Police said that drug evidence taken from the him could result in additional charges. The suspected drug evidence will be sent to the Michigan State Police lab for analysis.