State Trooper Paul Butterfield Honorred on Memorial Day

[Jasper]

Seriously Paul Butterfield was killed on American soil as an employee of the Michigan State Police. He was not killed while defending our Country. It was a job he chose. Yes, it indeed was a sad and senseless murder.

But to honor him on Memorial Day? Seriously, many people not only cops die while performing their job. Whether a firefighter, a commercial fisherman, a log cutter, a farmer, etc.

Paul Butterfield chose to be a MI State Police Officer. He did not die defending our freedoms. Shame to the VFW for honoring Paul Butterfield.

As a side did the tax paying citizens of Mason County Eastern pay for the bus that was used to transport people to this Memorial Service that has nothing whatsoever to do with this special day which is to honor those who died while protecting our Constitutional Freedoms.

[Jasper]

This service performed by the VFW was a complete mockery to those who served our Country. Veterans of Foreign Wars does not include Michigan State Police officers. Butterfield was not killed defending our Country.

[XLFD]

Jasper, were you aware that Paul was enlisted in the US Army during the 1990s serving in Hawaii and Haiti? 

Memorial Day is specially reserved for those who died while in service of their country, so I can see some folks with friends and family members who gave the ultimate sacrifice being piqued about him being honored on this day. 

A special day May 15, is specially reserved for those in law enforcement who die during their service to their municipality, county or state.  Was there a special memorial dedication to him today (it's not clear from the news releases)?

[Jasper]

Check out Mason County Press. Rob has a video of this.

[Jasper]

Joe Lancour is a true veteran who needs to be honored on this day. Not some road side memorial for a State trooper who did not die serving our country. Despicable to say the least. Not even a mention by any media of his name. Butterfield has sh!t named after him including The drive out to the State Park. To this day does anyone know what truly transpired between Eric and Butterfield? Sorry Butterfield is not worthy of recognition for Memorial Day. He had all his recognition at his funeral.

[XLFD]

I found the video on the MCP Facebook presence.  I do have to cede all of your points, and note that Bill Marble, another military veteran and upstanding citizen who died at the hands of a maniac with a gun, has not been properly honored since he was shot in his home.

[Hart2003]

Omg xlfd. Your initial response was good, then with post you screwed that up.

[XLFD]

What part do you object to, Hart2003?  Bill Marble served his country, served the MCE school district for over thirty years, was civically engaged, and was shot by a home invader without any reason or warning.  His length of service and duty to the community, particularly Mason County, far surpassed Paul Butterfield's.  Why aren't we memorializing his life as well? 

There will be no argument that Butterfield's death was a tragedy made possible by someone who never should have had a gun in the first place, but there are few who publicly stand behind the facts and see that the same is true in the Marble death.  This is because the perpetrator is protected by dint of his occupation and the folks are scared of similar incidents happening to them.

[Jasper]

I understand Butterfield served in the military. However he was not killed in action. He was killed as a Michigan State Police Officer. Nothing whatsoever to do with serving in the Military. Butterfield was killed in the line of duty as a State Cop. To honor him on Memorial Day is a disgrace to those that lost their lives serving our Country. November is the month to honor our Military that have served. Cops have their own special day to honor the fallen.

The way cops have been dishonoring their oath these days to serve and protect makes me question why there is not a certain day out of the year to acknowledge the victims that have been brutalized or killed by the serve and protect blue line Rambo force. Hell we got national donut day! Lol

[Willy]

I may be wrong but I don't believe that Ludington's own Medal of Honor recipient has ever received an honor such as the highway renaming as Mr. Butterfield received and in my opinion these types of special designations should be reserved for true hero's.

[XLFD]

A recent COLDNews article tells us that a rural section of Jebavy Road will be dedicated to Lancour's memory on June 3, so technically you are right as of now.  If we go all the way back to the Civil War, I am sure we can find heroes in the armed forces from Mason County who deserve to have their service commemorated for giving their life for their country.

On the other hand, Trooper Butterfield made a traffic stop prior to his death.  We still don't have any idea of why the traffic stop was initiated in the first place because he never informed dispatch of any reason, just relayed the plate number and other vehicle info.  Had Butterfield observed reasonable suspicion and probable cause criteria, he would likely still be alive rather than beatified by some in his death.  Furthermore, had he and his superiors decided to install a dash cam on this MSP vehicle, we wouldn't have to rely on unreliable testimony from the wife of the killer bargaining for her freedom to frame the episode. 

It's downright scary to me that most people overlook these two factors in a rush to canonize the life of Paul K. Butterfield.  Lancour and others fought for our freedom and our rights, Butterfield was apparently ignoring them prior to his untimely death.  I choose to worship on Lancour's altar.

[Real Talk]

Butterfield did fight for our Country and how in the hell did he ignore them before being murdered?  Also, since you have so much knowledge with your law degree, when the hell do police officers tell dispatch what they are stopping a car for?  So if the car was speeding or had an expired tab, he would still be alive because he would have told his dispatch?  Appropriate words cannot explain your comments or thoughts about this. I guess all of us with half a brain and without a brain injury should take your comments with a grain of salt when it comes to opinions on police or even fire fighters. At some point you have to let grudges go.

[XLFD]

It seems that common sense would dictate a police officer to indicate to dispatch (via state code) why they are initiating a traffic stop, and in actuality, this is often found in their training that they should.  This Texas training manual goes over the protocols that should be followed preliminary to a traffic stop, here is the salient part:

There is nothing in the records of the Butterfield shooting telling us why he initiated the stop; this was a self-initiated stop so he either must have witnessed a violation or had reasonable suspicion to whip his vehicle around and stop the truck.  It would have been easy to add the Motor Vehicle Code section to what he relayed to dispatch. 

Since he ignored such protocol, one may presume he stopped the vehicle for some other purpose not involving either of the protocols of either reasonable suspicion or witnessing of a definite violation.  When a police officer pulls anyone over for any other reason, he is violating their Fourth Amendment rights.  This is why Martin Schilling had a solid case against Kim Cole when Cole stopped him twice without any reason other than that Schilling's son was a fugitive. 

Because of common sense, training, respect for the rights of other in pursuing their lawful duties, and for officer's safety, police  should always note why they are stopping a suspicious vehicle.  Just think, if Butterfield had indicated that the stop was for a loud muffler, wouldn't the ability to locate this vehicle later have been easier, if it had come to that?