Sheriff: ‘Paul, keep breathing. Keep fighting.”

Sheriff Kim Cole

LUDINGTON — Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole was at a Victory Township Board of Trustees meeting on the evening of Sept. 9, 2013. Part of the sheriff’s routine is to attend municipal board meetings around the county each month. While at the meeting he heard a siren from a sheriff’s patrol vehicle drive past. He identified the vehicle as being driven by Sgt. Steve Hansen. Cole said Hansen is typically a reserved driver.

Cole went outside to his county owned vehicle, grabbed his radio and made contact with Hansen. At that time Hansen informed him that a police officer had been shot on North Custer Road north of Townline Road. Cole immediately left for that location.

When arriving he was informed that the officer down was Michigan State Police Trooper Paul Butterfield, a friend.

“I climbed in the back of the ambulance and I squeezed his hand and said ‘Paul, keep breathing. Keep fighting.”

More updates later.

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