Van Buren County Michigan Sheriffs Office

09/01/2026

📚 BACK TO SCHOOL! 🎒

The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office is excited to welcome students back for another school year!

Deputy Anderson (Mattawan), Deputy Schrock (Bloomingdale), Deputy Penning (Hartford), Deputy Torres (Paw Paw)and Deputy Whitmore (Gobles) are looking forward to being back in our schools, meeting new students, reconnecting with familiar faces, and getting to know the kids in our communities.

We’re excited for a great school year and look forward to building relationships with our students, staff, and families throughout Van Buren County.

Have a safe, successful, and fun school year! 🍎📓

Welcome back, students! We’re glad to have you back!

09/01/2026

🚨 PUBLIC SAFETY ALERT – ROCKS THROWN THROUGH VEHICLE WINDOWS

The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the Michigan State Police, is investigating two separate incidents involving rocks being thrown through the windshields of passing motorists.

The first incident occurred on Sunday, August 30, near the intersection of 44th Avenue and Van Kal Road. The victim’s vehicle was struck by a rock, breaking the windshield. The driver turned around and followed a gray Nissan sedan. At one point, a passenger exited the Nissan and threw a second rock at the victim’s vehicle. The victim then left the area out of concern for their safety.

The second incident occurred on Monday, August 31, on Red Arrow Highway near 28th Street, when another motorist had a rock thrown through their vehicle window. The driver was unable to provide a description of the suspect vehicle or individual(s) involved.

These incidents are being investigated, and anyone who may have witnessed either incident or has information about the suspect vehicle or individuals involved is asked to contact the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office at 269-657-3101 or submit a tip online. (Van Buren County⁠)

If you witnessed either incident, have dashcam footage, or have other information that may assist investigators, please contact law enforcement.

08/31/2026

HONOR GUARD TRAINING COMPLETED 🇺🇸

Please join us in congratulating Sergeant Scuiletti, Deputy Graham, Deputy Hathaway, and Deputy Gilbert on successfully completing Honor Guard training.

Sheriff Abbott stated, “These members have taken on the responsibility of representing the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office during some of the most important and solemn moments involving our law enforcement family and the communities we serve.”

Honor Guard service requires discipline, professionalism, attention to detail, and a deep commitment to honoring those who have served and sacrificed. Their willingness to accept this responsibility is a reflection of their dedication to the Sheriff’s Office and to the law enforcement profession.

We are proud to have them represent our agency and look forward to the professionalism and dignity they will bring to this important role.

Congratulations, and thank you for stepping up to serve. 🇺🇸

08/28/2026

• Uniform Response handled an incident in Paw Paw Township in which it appears that a Stray Bullet Hit a House. Deputies spoke to neighbors as well as checking the area with zero luck finding out where it came from or who may have done it.

• Uniform Response stopped a vehicle in Bangor Township going 90 mph. The driver was arrested for operating under the influence of alcohol 2nd offense. The driver was the same individual arrested last month by our office for driving at a high rate of speed by the fairgrounds during fair week while intoxicated that time as well.

• New Scam so be Aware. If you get an email that appears to be from your bank, advising your account will be restricted unless you confirm your information right away with a link to click on, DON’T. The email will look authentic and may even have your banks logo and color scheme. Contact your bank directly to confirm it’s a scam. Cybercriminals rely on alarming victims to act quickly, and this scam is no different.

• Our Detective Bureau’s Detectives(CID & Narcotic’s), Uniform Response, and Canine Unit Assisted the Ottawa County Sheriffs’ Office in Columbia Township. Ottawa County had an armed robbery and the suspects ended up downtown Grand Junction in which they abandoned the suspect vehicle. Without going into details, we’ll continue to assist in the case.

• Uniform Response handled a Vehicle vs House incident in the City of Gobles. A juvenile drove a vehicle on purpose into the parent’s residence after a dispute. There were no injuries during the incident. The report is being sent to the Prosecutors Office for review.

• Our Office handled Multiple Calls about Criminals Identifying Themselves as Court Officers/Police Officers and Requesting Money. All parties reported to be contacted by Sergeant Robert Smith and were given the same phone numbers, either 269-482-3741 or 269-482-2741. Once again, they are saying to the attempted victims they have a warrant for their arrest. It was great to see so many call our office to report it and not fall victim to the scam. Once again, it was found the suspects appear to be from another country based on the lines they were using.

• Uniform Response handled a Break-in in Porter Township at the Country Lakes General Store. Our midnight shift encountered what appeared to be a juvenile on a bike close to there the following night in the midnight hours. When the Deputy went to make contact with him, he fled on foot. They were unable to locate him after several hours of looking. The suspect in the video from the break-in the night before matched perfectly with the juvenile on the bike. It appears at this time the bike was stolen with an unknown victim. No alarm was set off from the break-in, and it was found in the morning. At this time, it appears that several packs of ci******es were stolen. Deputies are currently working on the case and have identified the juvenile. Once the case is complete, he’ll be facing charges for his actions.

• Our office will continue to work the Construction Zones closed to through traffic. Our office received calls about two separate incidents with two different workers about getting hit by vehicles going through a closed off road yesterday. We’ll be having directed patrols working the construction zones more than normal due to the ongoing issues.

08/27/2026

08/21/2026

From Van Buren County to our brothers and sisters in Cass County, our thoughts and prayers are with you, your department, and the family of Detective Sheteron. We stand with you during this difficult time. 💙🖤

08/21/2026

• Uniform Response had a Pursuit in Antwerp Township. The Deputy attempted to stop a vehicle for traffic violations when the suspect attempted to flee from him. At one point, the suspect shut off his headlights while attempting to elude the pursuing Deputy. The suspect did stop on his own and was placed into custody for the incident.

• Uniform Response took a Break-in to a Church in Geneva Township. Deputies investigated the incident, and it appears at this time that the suspect did not steal anything other than the peanut butter sandwich they made for themselves. Anyone with any information is asked to call our office.

• Uniform Response handled a 911 Hangup Call in Decatur Township. Deputies went to the residence, and it was found that a domestic assault had taken place. The suspect/husband was lodged for the incident.

• Detectives from our office assisted the Cass County Sheriff's Office with a Found Deceased Body close to the county line. Anyone with any information on this is asked to call the Cass County Sheriff's Office.

• Our Office is Participating in the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” patrols to target drivers operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It’s a campaign that reimburses our office and other offices that participate in it.

• Our new members of our Honor Guard will be attending a 5-day Training in Alpena next week.

• While I was on Patrol in Columbia Township, I stopped a quad for several violations. The driver was found not to have a valid driver's license and the quad’s VIN appeared to have been ground off with a fresh paint job on the frame and overall quad. The driver was cited for the incident, and the quad was impounded for further investigation.

• Uniform Response assisted Hartford PD with a 90-year-old with dementia that had wandered away from a residence. Our canine (Quillen) was deployed along with our drone immediately. The canine started a track down the road and into a cornfield. While the track was being ran, the drone operator knew which area to immediately fly, and in doing so, located the individual in the cornfield. First responders were guided to the individual’s location with a safe recovery. Great teamwork once again by all the departments on the scene.

• Our Narcotic Detectives had a Vehicle Flee from them in the Village of Paw Paw while they were Attempting to Stop Them. The suspect vehicle straightened out a T-intersection within a relatively short distance and crashed into a guardrail. Detectives immediately detained all three individuals in the vehicle to investigate the incident further. Canine Quillen located m**h in the vehicle. The driver was lodged for flee & elude, possession of m**h, possession of analogs, and driving on a suspended license.

• Uniform Response handled a Car vs Semi PIA (personal injury accident) on I94 highway in Lawrence Township. The investigation found that the passenger vehicles driver fell asleep and rearended the semi. The driver was found to be under the influence of ma*****na at the time of the crash. The passenger sustained several facial lacerations, and the semi driver was uninjured. The car driver was lodged for the incident.

08/19/2026

INFO:

Flee and Elude
Resisting and Obstructing
Possession of Methamphetamine
Driving with no License

COMPLAINT NUMBER:

DATE AND TIME:

08/18/2026 at 1335hrs

26008630

LOCATION:

Paw Paw Village

PURSUIT:

Kalmazoo St at S. Lagrave St.
East bound onto St. Joseph St.
St. Joseph St onto 56th ave.
Crashed at the intersection of 56th ave and CR 653.

VEHICLE INFO:

1998 Chevy Blazer

SUSPECT INFO:

29 yr old male from the Kalamzoo/Paw Paw area.

NARRATIVE:

Sheriff Daniel E. Abbott reports that Detectives with the Van Buren County Narcotics Division attempted to stop a vehicle in which the driver did not have a valid license and the vehicle was uninsured. Once the traffic stop was initiated on Kalamazoo St. near S. Lagrave the vehicle failed to pull over and fled eastbound onto St. Joseph St. The vehicle continued to flee running stop signs and accelerating at a high rate of speed. The vehicle continued eastbound on St. Joseph street until crashing at the intersection of 56th ave and CR 653.

Once the vehicle was stopped, two passengers and the driver were detained. A search of the vehicle resulted in nearly 7 grams of m**hamphetamine being located along with additional paraphernalia, including pipes and suboxone.

The driver was lodged on the above listed charges and passengers were released on scene.

This case remains open; no further information will be released at this time.

ASSISTING AGENCIES:

Paw Paw Police Department
VBEMS

08/19/2026

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 19, 2026

Sheriff Daniel E. Abbott reports that deputies investigated a Personal Injury Crash on I-94 which lead to Operating While Intoxicated by Drugs Charge.

On August 19, 2026, at approximately 8:00 a.m., Van Buren County Sheriff's Deputies responded to a personal injury crash on westbound I-94 near the 49-mile marker in Lawrence Township.

Upon arrival, deputies located a Honda SUV in the median that had crashed into the cable barrier. The vehicle sustained significant damage. A semi-truck involved in the crash was located approximately one-quarter mile west of the SUV.

The preliminary investigation determined the SUV had been traveling westbound on I-94 when it entered the travel lane and collided with the rear of the semi-truck. Following the collision, the SUV entered the median and struck the cable barrier.

The female driver was contacted by deputies and displayed several indicators of possible impairment. Deputies detected a strong odor of ma*****na and after a field sobriety test determined the driver was possibly under the influence of drugs while driving.

The driver was taken for a blood draw and then was lodged at the Van Buren County Jail for operating under the influence of drugs.

The male passenger sustained lacerations to his head during the crash and was evaluated at the scene by medical personnel. He was subsequently transported by deputies to a location of his choosing.

Sheriff Abbott reminds motorists that driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol places everyone on the roadway at risk. Drivers should never operate a motor vehicle when they are impaired, fatigued, or otherwise unable to safely operate their vehicle.

This investigation remains ongoing pending the results of the blood analysis.

Van Buren County Sheriff's Office
Sheriff Daniel E. Abbott

08/19/2026

Here is a great story about K9 Quillen and honoring the memory of Lt. Ethan Quillen of the Paw Paw Fire Department.