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Alex Rawls

Gender : Male

Age : 35

Race : Black

Date : 11/09/2021

Location : 1523 Washington Avenue

City : Kalamazoo

County : Kalamazoo

State : Michigan

Agency : Kalamazoo Public Safety, Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office

Officer(s) :Unknown

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Shot and killed under disputed circumstances

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On November 8, 2021, at around 10: 45 a.m., a standoff began at 1523 Washington Avenue in Kalamazoo when police from Kalamazoo Public Safety and the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office attempted to arrest Alex Rawls, a 35-year-old male, on charges related to a shooting incident on November 1 where he allegedly shot his ex-girlfriend's sister five times. The standoff lasted approximately 16 hours, ending around 3 a.m. on November 9, 2021. During this time, Rawls fired multiple shots at law enforcement, although no officers were injured. Officers returned fire, and Rawls was struck by several bullets. After the standoff concluded, Rawls was found deceased on the second floor of the residence. An autopsy later confirmed that while Rawls was hit by police gunfire, the fatal shot was self-inflicted, though police provided no proof of this assertion at the time. The incident drew significant attention due to the length of the standoff, the use of 'directed destruction' tactics by police to view inside the home, and the subsequent demolition of the property. Rawls' family has questioned the circumstances of his death, with his sister stating that he never spoke of suicide and that the system had failed him since childhood. The investigation was handed over to Michigan State Police, who placed the involved officers on administrative leave pending review. The family's skepticism and the lack of immediate evidence for the self-inflicted wound have contributed to ongoing discussions regarding the transparency and handling of such incidents by law enforcement.

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TOTAL FATALITIES/INJURIES DURING THIS POLICE ENCOUNTER: 1 fatality

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Last Update: 12/26/2024

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SOURCE LINKS :

1. https://www.woodtv.com/news/kalamazoo-county/kdps-discusses-standoff-suspect-death-house-demolition/
2. https://wwmt.com/news/local/timeline-what-happened-before-during-and-after-this-weeks-standoff-in-kalamazoo
3. https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/kalamazoo-man-dies-after-exchanging-gunfire-with-officers/
4. https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/kalamazoo-dept-of-public-safety-reveals-new-info-about-events-leading-up-to-and-during-deadly-standoff/69-4ae7cd71-ac9a-4e87-ada7-8737e8dbb94e
5. https://wwmt.com/news/local/police-identify-man-killed-in-kalamazoo-standoff-officer-deputy-on-leave
6. https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/officers-placed-on-administrative-leave-after-standoff-suspect-found-dead-in-kalamazoo/69-e08a9647-21ad-4bc2-9a78-10fcf890dff2
7. https://www.wlns.com/news/msp-suspect-killed-in-exchange-of-gunfire-during-kalamazoo-standoff/
8. https://wwmt.com/news/local/family-says-kalamazoo-standoff-shooting-suspect-is-not-a-monster