{"id":2287739,"date":"2024-07-02T07:52:01","date_gmt":"2024-07-02T11:52:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/suspected-killer-of-mi-deputy-had-served-reduced-sentences\/"},"modified":"2024-07-02T07:55:07","modified_gmt":"2024-07-02T11:55:07","slug":"suspected-killer-of-mi-deputy-had-served-reduced-sentences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/suspected-killer-of-mi-deputy-had-served-reduced-sentences\/","title":{"rendered":"Suspected Killer Of MI Deputy Had Served Reduced Sentences"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsuspected-killer-of-mi-deputy-had-served-reduced-sentences%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2287739&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The summary talks about the tragic death of Deputy William Butler, who was shot and killed by Eric Fiddler during a traffic stop. Fiddler, who had a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/suspect-in-fatal-shooting-of-iowa-officer-has-long-criminal-history\/\" title=\"Suspect in fatal shooting of Iowa officer has long criminal history\">long criminal history<\/a>, had warrants out for his arrest and allegedly drew a handgun and shot Butler during the confrontation. Fiddler was later killed in a gunfight with officers \u200dafter fleeing\u2062 the scene. The incident shocked the rural community of Hillsdale County, which rarely experiences such violence. The \u2063summary also highlights the \u2063history of reduced charges in \u200bFiddler&#8217;s past arrests and raises questions\u200c about whether stricter charges could have prevented the tragic outcome. The community is \u2064grieving the loss of Deputy Butler, who was a father of\u2062 five and an Iraq War veteran.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Cars lined the parking lot of the Hillsdale County Sheriff\u2019s Office. Their occupants were mourning the death of Deputy William Butler, an Iraq War veteran and father of five.<\/p>\n<p>Eric Fiddler, who allegedly shot and killed 51-year-old Butler during a traffic stop on June 27, went to jail twice in 2018 on <a href=\"https:\/\/micourt.courts.michigan.gov\/case-search\/court\/D02B\/case-details?caseId=2018-180289-FY-01&#038;tenantKey=D02B-30-0628321-00-00&#038;search=\">reduced charges<\/a>. He was wanted on a warrant for larceny at the time of the shooting, according to online <a href=\"https:\/\/micourt.courts.michigan.gov\/case-search\/court\/D02B\/case-details?caseId=2024-240015-SM-01&#038;tenantKey=D02B-30-0628321-00-00&#038;search=\">records<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This sort of violence is almost foreign to the rural county, which reportedly last saw a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-orders-flags-at-half-mast-for-fallen-capitol-officers\/\" title=\"Trump Orders Flags at Half-Mast for Fallen Capitol Officers\">police officer die<\/a> in the line of duty in the 1930s. The crime <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlns.com\/news\/photos-community-gathers-for-fallen-deputys-procession\/\">shook<\/a> the usually safe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.niche.com\/places-to-live\/hillsdale-hillsdale-mi\/\">community<\/a>, which is home to conservative <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/hillsdale-college\/\">Hillsdale College<\/a>. Flags at businesses and homes across the county have been flying at half-mast since the news broke. It serves as a warning that small towns can still experience great violence.<\/p>\n<h2>The Traffic Stop<\/h2>\n<p>When a detective sergeant with the sheriff\u2019s office pulled over a vehicle in the country outside the City of Hillsdale close to 2 p.m., Butler responded as backup, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilx.com\/2024\/06\/28\/hillsdale-county-sheriff-identifies-deputy-shot-killed-line-duty\/\">WILX<\/a>. Deputies arrested the driver and recognized Fiddler, the passenger, who had warrants out for his arrest.<\/p>\n<p>Deputies tried to arrest Fiddler and a fight broke out, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.13abc.com\/2024\/06\/27\/deputy-hospitalized-after-shooting-hillsdale-county-suspect-run\/\">ABC 13<\/a>. Fiddler then allegedly drew a handgun and shot Butler, who was driven to a hospital but soon died of his injuries. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cBeing a police officer is difficult because there are so many things out of your control,\u201d said Hillsdale County Prosecutor Neal Brady.<\/p>\n<p>Fiddler allegedly fled the scene, and officers from various agencies including the Michigan State Police, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms tracked him for hours. MSP troopers found the 34-year-old suspect in a field close to 6:15 p.m., and when he reportedly fired at them, they immediately killed him in a gunfight. Brady said Fiddler likely had mental or drug issues, as is common in many violent criminals.<\/p>\n<h2>The Background<\/h2>\n<p>Fiddler has a long criminal history going back to 2013, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2024\/06\/Eric-Fiddler-iCHAT-results.pdf\">WLNS<\/a>, including several instances of his charges being reduced. <\/p>\n<p>A deputy <a href=\"https:\/\/micourt.courts.michigan.gov\/case-search\/court\/D02B\/case-details?caseId=2018-180289-FY-01&#038;tenantKey=D02B-30-0628321-00-00&#038;search=\">arrested<\/a> Fiddler in February 2018 for the delivery or manufacture of controlled substances and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/calls-echo-a-need-for-tougher-crime-policies\/\" title=\"Calls echo a need for tougher crime policies\">felony firearms charge<\/a>. The drug charge, however, was reduced to the use of controlled substances, and the firearms charge was dismissed. Judge Sara Lisznyai of the Hillsdale 2B District Court sentenced Fiddler to a minimum of 30 days in the county jail and one year of probation. <\/p>\n<p>Another deputy arrested Fiddler <a href=\"https:\/\/micourt.courts.michigan.gov\/case-search\/court\/D02B\/case-details?caseId=2018-181701-FY-01&#038;tenantKey=D02B-30-0628321-00-00&#038;search=\">again<\/a> just nine months later, in November 2018, for attempted \u201cassaulting\/resisting\/obstructing\u201d a police officer. Lisznyai set his bond at $2,500. The charge was reduced, and Lisznyai sentenced him to another minimum of 30 days in the county jail.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutors are still gathering police reports to examine why Fiddler was given reduced charges in his past arrests, Brady said. But he said charges in the initial case may have been reduced due to a technicality such as the quantity of drugs possessed, and charges in the second case may have been reduced due to a complication such as the arresting deputy being non-uniformed at the time. <\/p>\n<p>Fiddler\u2019s latest run-in with the law came in late 2023, when he was charged for larceny of at least $200 but less than $1,000, according to online <a href=\"https:\/\/micourt.courts.michigan.gov\/case-search\/court\/D02B\/case-details?caseId=2024-240015-SM-01&#038;tenantKey=D02B-30-0628321-00-00&#038;search=\">records<\/a>. Brady said Fiddler had stolen a welder from a friend. Deputies realized Fiddler was wanted on these charges when they tried to arrest him during the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tyre-nichols-family-filing-civil-lawsuit-in-memphis-to-get-truth-on-traffic-stop\/\" title=\"Tyre Nichols family filing civil lawsuit in Memphis to get &#039;truth&#039; on traffic stop\">fatal traffic stop<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>The Problem<\/h2>\n<p>It is unclear whether pressing higher charges in the past would have prevented this tragedy. But it is a reminder that letting repeat offenders slip through the cracks can become deadly. <\/p>\n<div>\n<p>While crime and sentencing complications are often considered a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/opinions\/a-bill-to-reduce-sentences-for-violent-dc-felons-goes-too-far\/2019\/12\/25\/fdbd52ba-e6e2-11e9-a331-2df12d56a80b_story.html\">problem<\/a> in cities such as Washington, D.C., the rest of America is not immune. In 2021, prosecutors <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jsonline.com\/story\/news\/local\/milwaukee\/2021\/12\/02\/john-chisholm-discuss-low-bail-given-man-charged-waukesha-christmas-parade-attack-darrell-brooks\/8814614002\/\">released<\/a> a suspect on a $1,000 bail five days before he sped through a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, killing six people and hurting dozens more. <\/p>\n<p>Michigan state laws frown upon cash bail and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michbar.org\/journal\/Details\/Bail-reform-The-time-is-now?ArticleID=4326\">dictate<\/a> that it cannot be prohibitively high except in specific situations, meaning suspected criminals can get out of jail easily after an arrest. Brady said this has contributed to the local jail\u2019s struggle to retain inmates. Deputies have also had to <a href=\"https:\/\/hillsdalecollegian.com\/2024\/03\/county-applies-to-renew-community-corrections-program\/\">turn away<\/a> suspects from the jail in the past due to the building\u2019s small capacity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Politicians often forget small communities, pushing policies irrelevant to their needs. This leaves rural America alone, struggling with tasks like criminal justice \u2014 and trying to cope with the sometimes deadly consequences.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Logan Washburn is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lawsuit-clark-county-keeps-commercial-addresses-on-voter-rolls\/\" title=\"Lawsuit: Clark County Keeps Commercial Addresses On Voter Rolls\">staff writer covering election integrity<\/a>. He graduated from Hillsdale College, served as Christopher Rufo&#8217;s editorial assistant, and has bylines in The Wall Street Journal, The Tennessean, and The Daily Caller. Logan is originally from Central Oregon but now lives in rural Michigan.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The parking lot of the Hillsdale County Sheriff&#8217;s Office was filled with cars as people mourned the death of Deputy William Butler, a father of five and Iraq War veteran. Eric Fiddler, the man who shot and killed Butler during a traffic stop, had a criminal history and was wanted for larceny at the time of the shooting. This act of violence was shocking for the rural county, which had not seen a police officer die in the line of duty since the 1930s. The community, home to conservative Hillsdale College, was deeply affected by the tragedy. The suspect, Fiddler, was eventually killed in a gunfight with law enforcement after fleeing the scene. His criminal history included multiple instances of reduced charges. The incident serves as a reminder of the potential consequences of letting repeat offenders slip through the cracks. Small communities like Hillsdale face unique challenges in criminal justice, often overlooked by politicians focused on urban areas<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":507,"featured_media":2287740,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Hillsdale-Michigan-Historic-Marker.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[33010,6843,33635,33636,4230],"class_list":["post-2287739","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-criminal-justice","tag-killer","tag-michigan-deputy","tag-reduced-sentences","tag-suspect"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Hillsdale-Michigan-Historic-Marker.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2287739","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/507"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2287739"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2287739\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2287740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2287739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2287739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2287739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}