Troopers from the Michigan State Police Mt. Pleasant Post and Mecosta County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the Green Township Hall in Paris at around 2:00 P.M. Saturday afternoon for an unknown man wielding a machete.

A man shattered the glass of the front door of the hall with a machete and then proceeded to an open side door and made entry into the building where a graduation party was being held. He began waving the machete while making many statements including, “Everyone was going to hell.” Three individuals from the graduation party confronted the man and were able to use a chair to push the individual out of the building.

The man left prior to law enforcement arrival and proceeded to drive onto the lawn of the Mecosta County Sheriff’s Office. A corrections officer made contact with him and the male began threatening the officer by wielding the machete. Big Rapids City Police arrived on scene and both the corrections officer and city police officers were able to safely subdue the man and lodge him in the Mecosta County Jail pending multiple felony charges. He was identified as a 36-year-old from Hersey, MI. 

Thankfully no one was injured in either of the incidents. The Mecosta County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident on the corrections officer and the MSP Mt. Pleasant Post is investigating the graduation party complaint.

Special thanks to the Mecosta County Central Dispatchers and all involved agencies who worked diligently to bring an end to these dangerous encounters.