CASSOPOLIS, Mich.-- The Cass County Prosecutor released the name of the suspect who fled Cassopolis police Wednesday in a stolen police squad car, as well as prior convictions.
Andy Freshour has felony charges from 2023 and March this year, including firearm and meth possession. He now sits behind bars at the Cass County Jail.
ABC57's Annie Kate sat down with the Cass County Prosecutor, Victor Fitz, on Thursday.
"He was being arrested for the probation violation, and the intention was to transport him to jail, but he clearly had other ideas," Fitz said. "During the arrest he managed to get control of a police vehicle and stole it and obviously resulted in there being some considerable activation of law enforcement efforts."
Just after 1 p.m. Wednesday, Freshour was apparently on the run in a marked Cassopolis Police squad car. Police alerted the public just before 5 p.m., saying the suspect was armed and dangerous.
"The firearm we're referring to was one within the squad car," Fitz clarified. "It's common for officers to have a long gun, a rifle of some sort, in the vehicle that is normally locked."
Police said they found the squad car in a 6:20 p.m. Facebook update, then they found Freshour, taking him into custody sometime after 7 p.m. Wednesday night, roughly two miles from the jail where he now sits.
He was arraigned Thursday morning and denied bond.
"Mr. Freshour has been in the system since at least 2023, he has a variety of charges that he was convicted of," Fitz said.
Many shared concerns on social media over how long it took to notify the public.
The Cassopolis Police Department, which has denied all interview requests thus far from ABC57, released a statement that reads in part quote:
"We understand concerns about the timing of public communication. Our first priority was ensuring a secure response and minimizing public risk. That said, we recognize the importance of timely updates and will review our procedures accordingly."
There's still a lot ABC57 doesn't know, like how Freshour got into the squad car to drive away, and why it took so long to get the word out.
But Prosecutor Fitz calls this a success, saying multiple agencies responded quickly, and no one got hurt.
"This isn't TV," he said. "People are so used to knowing things within 15, 20 minutes. And that doesn't always happen."
Fitz said charging information for Freshour in regards to Wednesday's getaway will be released Friday.