MASON, Mich — The Michigan Department of Attorney General has concluded its review of an April 6, 2025, officer-involved shooting that killed a 27-year-old Lansing man in Vevay Township, finding the deputy involved acted in self-defense and defense of others.
The department announced its findings on March 4, 2026, declining to issue charges against the Ingham County Sheriff's Office deputy who fatally shot Cameron Joel Cothern on U.S. 127 near Barnes Road.
The Michigan State Police First District Investigative Section conducted the investigation.
According to the Ingham County Sheriff's Office, on the afternoon of April 6, 2025, a caller reported a man walking the wrong way on U.S. 127 near Barnes Road. Deputies say Cothern was armed with multiple knives.
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According to the Attorney General's release, an Ingham County Sheriff's Office deputy arrived near mile marker 61 on U.S. 127 in response to multiple 911 calls reporting a single adult male walking southbound in the northbound lanes of the highway with no apparent vehicle nearby.
The deputy found Cothern and approached him in a marked patrol car. Cothern produced a knife in each hand and continued toward the patrol car, at which point the deputy requested additional officers to the scene.
The deputy reversed the patrol car away from the approaching Cothern and used the vehicle's public address system to tell Cothern he was there to help him, instructing him to get off to the side of the highway. Over the next 11 minutes, the deputy stated his intent to help or assist Cothern more than 20 times and ordered him to drop his weapons more than 15 times.
Cothern continued toward the vehicles of responding officers, at times crouching in front of or running between the vehicles, until officers were no longer able to keep traveling southbound in the northbound lanes and stopped and exited their vehicles.
As officers exited their vehicles, Cothern was on the opposite side of a short guardrail, running northbound in the southbound lanes toward oncoming traffic with a knife in each hand. An officer from the Mason Police Department attempted to deploy a taser, which did not connect with Cothern.
Cothern then jumped over the guardrail and ran toward the Mason officer, who turned and ran in the direction of the Ingham County Sheriff's deputy. The officer fell to the ground as Cothern lunged toward them, at which point the deputy fired his pistol 3 times, fatally striking Cothern.
Emergency aid was immediately rendered to Cothern by officers on the scene and continued by arriving emergency medical responders.
Attorneys at the Department of Attorney General reviewed written reports from the Ingham County Sheriff's Office, Mason Police Department, and Michigan State Police, relevant 911 calls, statements from officers present at the scene, body-worn and patrol car camera footage, citizen-captured footage from the scene, scene photographs, Cothern's autopsy report, Mason Police Department and Ingham County Sheriff's Office use of force policies, and other material.
The department concluded that the deputy acted in self-defense and defense of a fellow responding officer when they fatally shot Cothern, who was attempting to attack responding officers at the time of his death.
The Department of Attorney General said it is available to lead or support any investigation of an officer-involved shooting at the request of any county prosecutor or law enforcement agency within the state.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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