Trooper Beating, Van Buren Crime Spree Possibly Linked

wsjm949depend-2016-179
wsjm949depend-2016-179

One of the two men who were subdued by good Samaritans after they attacked a Michigan State Police trooper has now been linked to a series of other crimes both before and after his arrest in Indiana and in Michigan. 21-year-old Michael Barber has allegedly been seen on store security video recorded the day before the theft of 14 handguns at a gun shop in Shipshewana on February 10th. On February 20th, four businesses were broken into in Van Buren County and a number of items stolen. Among them a motorcycle that Michael Barber was riding when he was pulled over by Trooper Garry Guild, and a fist fight between Barber, his brother and Trooper Guild took place. Barber and his brother are due in a Berrien County courtroom today to face charges for allegedly attacking the trooper. Three others have been arrested in connection with the theft of the guns. They sold some of them in an attempt to raise enough bail money to spring Barber.