LANSING, Mich. — Former DeWitt police officer Chad Vorce is facing felony charges afterpulling a gun twice on an unarmed Black teenager last year.
Vorce pulled a gun on a 19-year-old man who was delivering newspapers for the Lansing State Journal in January of 2021. Vorce was off duty at the time. He was fired in May. An arbitrator forced the city of DeWitt to rehire him in December, which it did, but not as a police officer.
The state Attorney General's Office was asked to review the case in January and elected to charge Vorce with assault with a dangerous weapon, felony firearm and misconduct in office, all felonies.
“Our assessment of this incident showed dangerous behavior exhibited by Mr. Vorce,” Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement. “Those who swear to protect and serve must do so responsibly. We will not hesitate to hold accountable those who violate that oath.”
Vorce was arraigned today.
Just after 7 a.m. on Jan. 14, 2021, Vorce was taking his teenage son to school when he saw a gray van in his neighborhood that he found suspicious. Vorce approached the van in his red pickup truck wearing civilian clothes and asked the driver what he was doing. He was off duty at the time.
According to Vorce, cars had been getting broken into near his home and he thought the driver fit the description of the suspect. The driver responded with "I'm just doing me." Vorce called 911.
Vorce is heard on the 911 call saying there was a "Black male hanging out in the area" who "needs to be checked."
"The plate's covered up with dirt so I can't get it," Vorce told the operator.
Vorce followed the driver, who later said he put his vehicle in reverse to try to speak with Vorce. But, when he reversed, Vorce did, too. Vorce later said he thought the man was trying to ram him.
Vorce got out of his vehicle and pulled out his gun, pointing it at the driver. He told the 911 operator he was "going to go shots fired if he does it again."
The driver said he saw the gun and left. He would tell investigators he thought was going to get shot and wanted to get to somewhere public.
They ended up at a Sunoco gas station, where Vorce blocked the man's vehicle, identified himself as a police officer and demanded he exit, pointing his gun at him. A city of DeWitt police officer and a Michigan State Police trooper arrived shortly after. They detained the driver.
The Clinton County prosecutor's office declined to pursue charges in the case last year.
As of now, Vorce is still an employee for the City of DeWitt.
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