Michigan State Trooper Paul Butterfield was shot in the head and killed while performing a traffic stop on Monday and now Jack Knysz, the father of the suspect, is speaking out, UPI reported.
After state police asked Knysz to assist their investigation, he initially believed he could help clear his son, Eric Knysz, from the suspect list. However, after he spent time at the scene where his truck was dumped, he became more suspicious of his son's alibi.
Butterfield, 43, died in emergency surgery after the incident. Police were led to Eric Knysz, 19, and his pregnant wife, Sarah, 21, based off of information he provided to dispatch before he was shot.
According to the suspect's father, Eric Knysz asked to borrow his father's car to get to a doctor's visit and stopped to look at a car for sale on the way.
"Supposedly, he went to buy a car and they reported it stolen," Jack Knysz said. When police caught up with Eric and Sarah Knydz, they were reportedly driving the stolen car. At Manistee County gas station, Eric Knydz got in a gun fight with police and was shot. Both he and his wife were taken into custody.
"None of it makes sense, I mean, the troopers have all these facts so you have to go by the facts," Jack Knysz added.
The suspect's father, like Butterfield, worked as a police officer and is a military veteran.
"Being a police officer, I know how [the police] feel and it's just the worst day or your life," he said. "Our family and our hearts and our prayers to out to him and his family."
Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole discussed the shock he felt after receiving the 911 call from a passing motorist who spotted Butterfield on the ground.
"When I arrived I saw Paul, I stayed with him, I sat with him in the ambulance and tried to encourage him," Cole said. "I know he would have done that for me and he'd done it for any of our guys."
"Our deputies and law enforcement officers around the state will pull car stops, they'll be afraid, they'll think of Paul and they will carry on and they will do their job remembering Paul," he said.
Michigan State Gov. Rick Snyder scheduled flags to be flown at half staff this morning.
