Dash cam video shows shooting suspect open fire on officers, throwing pipe bombs at them | Law Enforcement Today

LANSING, MI - Authorities with the Jackson Police Department (JPD) held a news conference regarding the officer-involved shooting incident that happened on Wednesday, November 6th.

According to WLNS, the City of Jackson's director of Police and Fire Service Elmer Hitt, Jackson County Sheriff Gary Schuette, Lenawee County Sheriff Troy Bevier, and Michigan State Police Lieutenant Rene Gonzalez all spoke during the news conference. Hitt said, "The actions of officers that day were nothing but heroic and extraordinary."

Bevier said that on November 6th, at approximately 4:15 p.m., Lenawee County Deputies were dispatched to Hickman Hospital for a gunshot victim stemming from a domestic violence incident that happened in the 500 block of Pentecost Highway in Franklin Township. Police said 31-year-old Jacob Austin Hikes was confronted by his father, 68-year-old Robert Hikes, for stealing money from his father's bank account to allegedly buy drugs.

Jacob grabbed a long gun during the ensuing argument, which was subsequently taken away by the father. Jacob proceeded to then take out a pocket knife and went to grab a handgun from the cabinet. Jacob hit his father in the face with the gun.

Jacob's older brother, 34-year-old Mitchell Hickman, attempted to wrestle the gun away from Jacob, but the gun went off during the altercation, hitting Mitchell in his right forearm and hand. Jacob fled the scene, telling his father he was going to kill himself and that police better not come after him or he will shoot.

The chase began around 4:30 p.m. Jacob was found using a tracking device via cellphone by the Jackson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO). Deputies located Jacob's car, a maroon-colored van, on the 1000 block of Cooper Street on the east side of Jackson. 

Deputies said that Jacob led them on a high-speed chase and that multiple shots were fired. Several homes and cars were shot during the police pursuit, but thankfully, there have been no reports of injuries from bystanders. Deputies also reported that Jacob was throwing pipe bombs out of the vehicle. This information was later confirmed when six additional pipe bombs were found inside of is vehicle.

Around 5:41 p.m., Sgt. Wes Stanton from the Jackson Police Department (JPD) was shot in his arm at the intersection of Van Dorn and Elizabeth Street. The bullet went through the Sgt's arm and lodged in his back. As of this writing, Sgt. Stanton has been released from the hospital and is recovering. 

Deputies were able to stop Jacob after multiple shots were fired. He was shot and police performed life-saving efforts on the suspect before he was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. Detectives with Lenawee County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) reported that Jacob was addicted to drugs and possibly suffered from an undiagnosed mental illness.

He has a long rap sheet with over 19 incidents with law enforcement and 11 arrests between 2012 and 2022. One of those arrests was for fleeing and eluding in 2022. First responders have been dispatched to the Hikes address 24 times since 2013. On November 13th, LCSO detectives found 33 functional pipe bombs, bomb-making material, literature on constructing bombs, 20 guns, and hundreds of magazines of ammunition were found on the Hikes property.