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Eastpointe Man Charged in Van Buren Township Homicide and Assaults
Name and Gender Correction: The Van Buren Township homicide victim's name is Jean Butchart. He identified as a transgender male who used the pronouns, he/him. He did not identify using his legal name, Catherine Butchart.
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Prosecutor Kym Worthy has charged Matthew Torrey Tiggs Jr., 22, of Eastpointe, in connection with the fatal shooting of Mr. Jean Butchart, 26, the non-fatal shooting of a 47-year-old man, and the assault of a 45-year-old man, all of Van Buren Township.
July 28, 2023 - 45-year-old Victim - 30 Block of Birch Drive
On July 28, 2023, at approximately 11:31 a.m., at a residence in the 30 block of Birch Drive in Van Buren Township, it is alleged that a verbal altercation between the 45-year-old victim and the defendant escalated, and Defendant Tiggs produced a firearm and pointed it at the victim, before fleeing the scene. More detailed facts will be placed on the record at the preliminary examination. Matthew Torrey Tiggs Jr. has been charged with one count of Felonious Assault, one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and one count of Felony Firearm. *
August 4, 2023 - 16800 block of Lohr Road
On August 4, 2023, at approximately 5:02 p.m., members of the Van Buren Township Fire Department were dispatched to a park located in the 16800 block of Lohr Road for a reported person down. Upon their arrival, the victim was unresponsive, with a gunshot wound to the head. Medics arrived on the scene and pronounced Mr. Jean Butchart deceased.
It is alleged that Defendant Tiggs approached Mr. Butchart and produced and fired a handgun multiple times, fatally wounding him, before fleeing the scene. More detailed facts will be placed on the record at the preliminary examination.
Matthew Torrey Tiggs Jr. has been charged with one count of Second-Degree Murder, one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and one count of Felony Firearm. *
August 6, 2023 - 47-year-old Victim - 40 Block of Birch Drive
On August 6, 2023, at approximately 11:44 a.m., Van Buren Township police officers were dispatched to a residence in the 40 block of Birch Drive for a reported shooting. Upon their arrival, officers located the 47-year-old victim suffering from gunshots to the right upper arm and lower back. Medics arrived on the scene and transported the victim to a local hospital for treatment.
It is alleged that Defendant Tiggs approached the victim while he was in his vehicle and produced and fired a handgun multiple times, non-fatally wounding the victim. It is further alleged that the defendant barricaded himself inside of the next-door residence. Western Wayne SWAT were called to the scene and a perimeter was set up around the home. After a two-hour standoff, the defendant exited the residence and was taken into custody. More detailed facts will be placed on the record at the preliminary examination. Matthew Torrey Tiggs Jr. has been charged with one count of Assault with Intent to Murder, one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and one count of Felony Firearm. *
He was arraigned and remanded to jail this afternoon in 34th District Court before Magistrate Alan Hindman. The Probable Cause Conferences are scheduled for August 23, 2023, at 8:30 a.m., before Judge Tina Green. Please request a photograph of the defendant from the Van Buren Township Police Department.
"It is an understatement to say that these cases are extremely unsettling. The defendant allegedly terrorized members of this community in a series of very violent events. We will continue to work hard to bring the victims and their families justice," said Prosecutor Kym Worthy.
*The charges are allegations and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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