Holly MatkinKalamazoo County, MI – The Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) has released bodycam and dashcam footage from the night KCSO Sergeant Ryan Proxmire was fatally shot by a suspect during a high-speed chase in August (video below).
The fatal encounter began at a Shell gas station is Galesburg on Aug. 14 as Sgt. Proxmire, 39, and a second KCSO deputy were handling an unrelated call, MLive reported.
The deputies happened to spot 35-year-old Kyle Goidosik standing next to a black Econoline van towing a boat that was parked near one of the pumps, bodycam footage showed.
Goidosik was the subject of a “be on the lookout” alert issued earlier in the day after he allegedly fled from a Portage Department of Public Safety (PDPS) officer who tried to stop him for a registration violation, WWMT reported.
The suspect was out on bond on felony weapons and drug charges stemming from an incident in June, according to the news outlet.
The deputies approached Goidosik and told him they needed to speak with him, at which point the suspect backed away and pulled out a handgun from his waistband, bodycam footage showed.
The deputies drew their own weapons and ordered Goidosik to “drop it,” just before the suspect jumped back behind the wheel of the parked van and sped out of the gas station parking lot.
No shots were fired during the initial encounter.
The deputies jumped into their patrol vehicles and began chasing the armed suspect, video footage showed.
During the pursuit, flying debris from Goidosik’s vehicle began hitting Sgt. Proxmire’s patrol unit, which was the lead vehicle in the chase.
“I’m gonna back off just a touch,” the sergeant radioed at one point. “He’s losing more parts of his trailer, hitting my patrol vehicle.”
Sgt. Proxmire’s patrol SUV abruptly stopped just moments later and additional units sped past him, dashcam footage showed.
The Michigan State Police (MSP) later said the deputies who passed by him mistakenly believed Sgt. Proxmire’s vehicle had been disabled during the chase and had no idea that the suspect had actually pointed a gun behind him and fired it, hitting the sergeant, MLive reported.
Investigators ultimately discovered a shell casing approximately 125 feet away from the wounded sergeant’s patrol unit, according to a report filed by MSP Detective Lieutenant Shane Criger.
Goidosik continued firing rounds at the pursuing deputies as the chase continued, MLive reported.
The suspect ultimately crashed his van in a field in Climax Township and opened fire on the deputies, who returned fire, WWMT reported.
Dashcam footage captured the barrage of gunfire and showed deputies scrambling for cover.
“Show me your hands!” one of the deputies screamed repeatedly after the gunfire stopped. “He’s on the ground, facing us.”
They continued yelling commands as they slowly moved through the dark towards Goidosik, bodycam footage showed.
They pulled him out of the grass and took turns administering CPR, still unaware that Sgt. Proxmire had been shot, MLive reported.
The suspect died from his wounds at the scene.
Meanwhile, four citizens placed calls to the Kalamazoo County Consolidated Dispatch Authority to report there was a patrol unit pulled to the side of the road with its sirens and lights activated, MLive reported.
At 9:51 p.m., a fifth caller told the 911 center a deputy was slumped over the wheel of the parked unit and that he had been shot in the head.
The dispatchers believed the fifth caller was talking about the shooting involving Goidosik until the caller explained the wounded person was a deputy and that he was alone, MLive reported.
By the time a Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS) officer located him, 27 minutes had passed since Sgt. Proxmire had been shot, according to the news outlet.
Our condolences and prayers are extended to the family, friends, and colleagues of Deputy Ryan J. Proxmire of the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office. May he Rest In Peace. pic.twitter.com/LJe6o88Dsa
— Novi Police Department (@novipolice) August 15, 2021
“Kalamazoo County Dispatch received five (5) calls from concerned citizens regarding Deputy Proxmire’s vehicle being parked in the roadway with lights and sirens activated,” the MSP’s report confirmed. “Dispatch was unaware at that time, as were all law enforcement personnel, that Deputy Proxmire had been shot.”
Video footage showed the deputies at the scene of the crash as they received word that Sgt. Proxmire had been hit by gunfire during the chase.
The KDPS officer who responded to the scene where the wounded officer was located rushed him to a local hospital, MLive reported.
Sgt. Proxmire, a married father-of-four, succumbed to his wounds the following day, according to WWMT.
Watch the incident unfold in the video below. Warning – Graphic Content:
