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Cortez McConer Jr.

Gender : Male

Age : 16

Race : Black

Date : 11/02/2024

Location : Near East Division, Rockford

City : Grand Rapids

County : Kent

State : Michigan

Agency : Grand Rapids Police Department, Kent County Sheriff's Office, Michigan State Police

Officer(s) :Unknown

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Driver drowned during police chase

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On October 28, 2024, at approximately 11:30 p.m., police began pursuing 16-year-old Cortez McConer Jr. after he fled on foot following a traffic stop. He had been a passenger in a car police investigated as possibly stolen. According to the record, the Grand Rapids Police Department officers chased him on foot through a wooded area near Courtland Drive and Kies Street in Rockford, Michigan for several miles into a body of water, which authorities later confirmed was a secluded area south of downtown Rockford. Police alleged that they could not find him.
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On 11/02/2024, search crews discovered McConer's body in a heavily wooded area near the water. The Kent County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the cause of death as accidental drowning.
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The Grand Rapids Police Department, Kent County Sheriff's Office, and Michigan State Police are conducting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding McConer's death.
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A candlelight vigil was held at Godwin Heights High School to honor McConer's life, attended by over 200 community members. Principal Chad Conklin described him as "a beacon of light, bringing joy, kindness and connection with everyone around him."
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TOTAL FATALITIES/INJURIES DURING THIS POLICE ENCOUNTER: 1 fatality.
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Last Update: 12/10/2024

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.wgvunews.org/news/2024-11-25/autopsy-shows-missing-grand-rapids-teen-drowned-near-rockford
https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/grand-rapids/cortez-mcconers-death-ruled-an-accidental-drowning-police-say
https://wwmt.com/news/local/cortez-mcconer-grand-rapids-rockford-death-accidental-drowning-missing-medical-examiner-investigation-police-west-michigan
https://www.woodtv.com/news/kent-county/cortez-mcconer-death-ruled-an-accidental-drowning/