Officer-Involved Shooting in Bridgeport Determined to be Justified

An officer-involved shooting in Bridgeport Township last year has been ruled to be justified.

The Saginaw County Prosecutor’s Office says police were attempting to arrest 51-year-old Deon Watson on a 9-count felony warrant on December 13th outside a convenience store on Dixie Highway when he began to flee and discard several items from his pockets, one of which was a firearm. As officers pursued, investigators say Watson hopped a fence and began shooting at them with another handgun, striking a State Police trooper twice. Police returned fire, striking and killing Watson.

The trooper who was shot underwent surgery at a local hospital and survived.

After a review of witness testimony and other evidence, the prosecutor’s office says the use of deadly force was justified, and officers took reasonable action to preserved their lives and the lives of others.