A jury in Mecosta County found a Michigan conservation officer not guilty for assault charges related to a 2023 shooting incident.
The Department of Natural Resources officer, Ryan Cox, was at a campsite in Barryton when he heard someone scream. According to his attorney, Ben Hall, several people called 911.
Hall said it was a “chaotic” event that ended with Cox shooting Brandon Davis after he allegedly began attacking Cox’s father. Hall said two shots were fired, with one hitting Davis in the abdomen. Davis survived his injuries.
“When Ryan used force, he did so believe that that was the only option he had to prevent the significant harm to somebody else,” Hall said. “The fact that it's his father does not change the equation.”
Davis sued Cox for $250 million. Cox was charged with a felony firearm count and an assault charge. According to a news release from Hall’s office, the firearm count was dropped because the court deemed that Cox was on duty at the time of the incident and the law couldn't be applied.
Jim Gorno, another DNR conservation officer, says if there is a crime, it’s an officer’s duty to respond whether they are in uniform or not.
“If we don’t, we could be held responsible,” Gorno said. “They will be on duty as soon as there's a crime committed…So really you can be off duty, but you can be on duty in a in a heartbeat.”
Gorno said the DNR is planning to get Cox back in the field soon.
“He was put in a terrible situation three years ago when he acted within his duty and within policy," Gorno said. "We're just happy that he's back and that he's going to be back in the field.”
After a year of litigation and a two-week trial, a jury determined unanimously that Cox was not guilty of assault with the intent to do great bodily harm.
Davis’s attorney has not yet commented on the decision in the criminal case. However, Davis filed a separate federal lawsuit that claims Cox used excessive force the night he was shot.
