Ludington man gets up to 50 years for shooting cop

Lowell Fetters

LUDINGTON — Lowell Fetters was sentenced to 16 to 50 years in prison today for shooting a Ludington police officer.

The 65-year-old Ludington man shot Ludington Police Sgt. David Maltbie on June 27, 2012 and appeared today in 51st Circuit Court. On November 27, 2013 Fetters entered a no contest plea. He originally faced 32 counts stemming from the incident at his home, including shooting Sgt. Maltbie. A no contest plea is considered by the court as a no guilty plea.

In exchange for pleading no contest, the prosecutor dropped all charges with the exception of six of the counts. Those counts include assault to commit murder against Sgt. Maltbie, felony firearms, and felonious assault on Ludington police officers Aaron Sailor and Jason Smith and Mason County Sheriff’s Sgt. Oscar Davila and Dep. Derrek Wilson and malicious destruction of police property.

For those counts, he received 2 years for felony firearms count, 1 year, 11 months to 4 years for malicious destruction of a fire/police vehicle and 1 year, 11 months to 4 years for the remainder of the counts. All to be served consecutively with the primary count.

Part of Fetters’ plea includes a stipulation for mental illness.