Midwest
Man in bodycam video drives lawn mower to allegedly flee deputy; shoots himself in hand
Newly released police bodycam footage shows what authorities said was a Michigan man driving a riding mower and refusing to pull over for a deputy before getting tased and accidentally shooting himself in the hand.
On Sept. 19, police responded to a home in Leoni Township to arrest a man who had several warrants, according to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
The deputy arrived at the home to arrest 41-year-old James Mitchell Kerr, who was driving a riding lawn mower and allegedly refused to get off the machine.
Authorities said Kerr accelerated toward the deputy before riding away as the deputy chased him.
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James Kerr allegedly tried to flee from a deputy by driving away on a riding lawn mower before getting tased and shooting himself in the hand. (Jackson County Sheriff’s Office)
The mower eventually stopped in a ditch, but Kerr allegedly refused to comply with the deputy’s commands even after the deputy threatened to tase him.
Police said Kerr continued to ignore the deputy’s command and went back to the mower, drew a handgun that was hidden on the mower, and pointed it at the deputy.
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Police bodycam video shows James Kerr allegedly fleeing on a riding lawn mower. (Jackson County Sheriff’s Office)
In response, the deputy fired his stun gun, striking Kerr, which caused Kerr to shoot himself in the hand.
Kerr was treated and released from a local hospital for the gunshot wound. The deputy was not injured.
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A Michigan man with outstanding warrants was tased by a deputy after allegedly fleeing on a riding lawn mower and refusing arrest. (Jackson County Sheriff’s Office)
“This incident underscores how rapidly a seemingly routine encounter can escalate and the potential dangers deputies face daily,” the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said. “Thankfully, the deputy was unharmed, and the suspect did not sustain serious injuries.”
Once cleared, Kerr was arrested and released on bail.
Jackson County Sheriff Gary Schuette also requested the Michigan State Police to conduct an independent criminal investigation while the sheriff’s office conducted an internal investigation. The internal investigation found no policy violations occurred during the altercation.
Kerr was charged in October and bound over for trial in circuit court last week. He remains in the Jackson County Jail.
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Having lived with Donald Trump’s infamous and baseless insult against them — “they’re eating the dogs … they’re eating the cats” — Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, are bracing for a far bigger injury.
More than 10,000 Haitians across Ohio and hundreds of thousands more around the country who had Temporary Protected Status now face the imminent prospect of deportation. The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Trump administration can halt those legal protections for Haitians and Syrians and resume forcing them to leave.
Justice Samuel Alito’s opinion for the court’s Republican-appointed majority curbed the power of courts to review government decisions to terminate protections under the TPS program.
“They side with him on everything that he says or everything that he does, which means there is no check and balance,” said Viles Dorsainvil, a Haitian TPS holder and executive director of the Haitian Support Center in Springfield, a town Trump catapulted into a maelstrom of misinformation about immigrants when he was running to retake the White House in 2024.
“The president has that freeway in front of him to do whatever he wants to do, unfortunately, and most of the time to a minority group of people,” added Dorsainvil, who has lived in the United States since 2020.
In a country rife with political and economic instability, Haitians returning from the U.S. are in danger of being killed or kidnapped, said Dorsainvil’s colleague at the Haitian Support Center, Rose Thamar Joseph.
“There is this perception in Haiti that if you are living here in the United States, you have money, so you are living your good life, so sending people back to Haiti will put them in real danger,” Joseph said.
Staying in the U.S. without legal status creates a different crisis.
“We received calls this morning from people saying that, unfortunately, starting on July 1, they won’t be able to go to work anymore,” Joseph said Friday.
Joseph predicted that families would be separated during the deportation process.
“We know that there will be separation,” she said. “A lot of those parents with TPS … they have kids who were born in the United States, so we know that it will happen, not for everybody, not for all the families, but it will happen,” she said.
The oncoming nightmare for the Haitian community in Springfield was, in many ways, predictable after Trump notoriously targeted them on the debate stage against then-Vice President Kamala Harris in the fall of 2024.
South Dakota is getting another chief elections officer.
Secretary of State Monae Johnson failed to win the Republican nomination for a second term during the South Dakota Republican Party Convention Saturday in Rapid City, where GOP delegates instead favored another Pierre outsider to oversee the state’s elections for the next four years.
“When this office runs well, you don’t notice it. When it doesn’t, you feel it everywhere,” Rep. Heather Baxter told a capacity crowd of delegates and attendees at The Monument events center, where she received nearly 60 percent of votes cast by more than 700 party delegates.
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Looking to explore Wisconsin this summer? The state is full of lakefront beaches, forests, rivers, bluffs, waterfalls and more.
These pockets of nature span several state counties and can make for great road trips. Here are eight hidden gems across Wisconsin for nature-lovers to enjoy while the weather is warm:
This state park is home to Wisconsin’s largest waterfall, Big Manitou Falls. It is accompanied by Little Manitou, a smaller cascade. Around every bend in the trail, there’s opportunity to get right next to a waterfall or rumbling rapid.
The park is on the Black River within Pattison State Park in Douglas County.
For a full Wisconsin waterfall experience, visit waterfalls at Copper Falls, 90 miles east, and Pattison State Park, 15 miles southwest.
On the northern tip of Wisconsin’s Bayfield peninsula 22 islands sit in Lake Superior. Most of the islands are part of Ashland County.
It’s known for its mainland sea caves, which you can visit with a kayak. Also accessible (exclusively) by kayak or boat, there are campsites on 18 of the 21 islands. Visitors can go on cruises for tours of lighthouses, sea caves and more.
Stretching across Vernon and Crawford counties, this region’s forested hills and winding rivers make it unique from other Wisconsin landscapes. Its 125-mile stretch starts near Wilton, winds through La Farge and Ontario and ends at Wauzeka.
It’s beautiful year-round, but canoeing or kayaking the Kickapoo River during the summer can make for great memories. Wildcat Mountain State Park and Kickapoo Valley Reserve trails are also great places to explore.
There are private cabins with large porches to enjoy the view of hills, but the area isn’t as touristy as some other Wisconsin summer spots.
This scenic byway spans 3,000 miles along the Mississippi river across several states. The Wisconsin stretch goes through small towns like Stockholm, Pepin and Alma, which have wineries and natural attractions to visit along a road trip. For a nature break, there’s hiking at Perrot State Park in Trempealeau County and Maiden Rock State Natural Area in Pepin County. To grab a bite or drink, get pizza on a farm at the Stone Barn and go wine tasting at Villa Bellezza and Danzinger.
Bluff-top camping along the Mississippi River
There are campsites in Wyalusing State Park near Bagley and Nelson Dewey State Park near Cassville that sit on bluffs above the Mississippi River. The campgrounds tend to fill quickly, so stay vigilant about any snatch-able sites, or keep it on your radar for a few months down the line.
Wyalusing sites are car-camping sites and have limited privacy, but they have great views, looking directly out on the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers.
The four walk-in sites at Nelson Dewey State Park have a great view of the Mississippi with better privacy between sites. Below the bluff, trains whizz past.
Lakeside camping in the Northwoods
The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest and the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest protect over 1.75 million forest acres and thousands of lakes. There are dozens of small campgrounds – many on lakes – at both parks. You could even backcountry camp off the North Country Trail on national forest land and off the Ice Age Trail.
Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest encompasses 1.5 million acres and crosses 11 counties, including Ashland, Bayfield, Sawyer and Price counties. It’s just south of Lake Superior’s shores. Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest reaches Iron, Oneida and Vilas counties.
Some extra gems here are Laura Lake, Bagley Rapids and Crystal Lake.
On the way to Door County, the Ridges is a nature preserve in Baileys Harbor. It was Wisconsin’s first land trust, and today has lots of boardwalks, typical of this area of Lake Michigan.
The Kettle Moraine State Forest
Lakes, pines, prairies and glacial landforms can all be found in the Kettle Moraine. Dozens of forested campsites stretch through the woods, with plenty of privacy and space.
Its most famous trail is the Ice Age, which travels through 30 counties. More than 600 miles of it can be hiked, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, but 30 miles are in the northern unit of the Kettle Moraine grounds. It’s meant to be hiked by foot but has branches for mountain biking and horseback riding.
The forest is divided into six units, which hit Fond Du Lac, Jefferson, Sheboygan, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha counties.
Contact Elena Metinidis at emetinidis@usatodayco.com.
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