Suspect arraigned on multiple charges following officer-involved shooting in Niles

Published 8:05 am Friday, November 5, 2021

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BERRIEN COUNTY — The suspect in an Oct. 6 traffic stop turned shooting that left both a Michigan State Police trooper and a passenger injured was arraigned on multiple charges in Berrien County Trial Court last week.

Isaac Ntabaazi appeared for arraignment Friday, Oct. 28, where he was arraigned on assault with intent to murder, felon in possession of a firearm, carrying a concealed weapon in an automobile, possession of a firearm with altered identification marks, resisting and obstructing a police officer causing serious impairment and three counts of being in possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

According to MSP, the charges stem from a that shooting occurred around 10:30 p.m. Oct. 6 at Ninth and Main streets in Niles. The incident began as a traffic stop after an MSP trooper pulled over a Nissan for failure to stop at a stop sign. The driver was arrested for a suspended license, while the vehicle’s only passenger, Ntabaazi, exited the car upon request. Once out of the vehicle, a struggle ensued, and shots were fired by both the passenger and trooper.

The investigation is being handled by the Sixth District Incident Response Team.

The court set Ntabaazi’s bond at $500,000 cash or surety with a GPS tether requirement and a 24-hour curfew. He is set for a pre-exam conference on Wednesday, Nov. 10 and a preliminary examination on Tuesday, Nov. 16.

According to Michigan State Police, the state trooper, a three-year veteran of the Niles post, is recuperating at home and has “a long road to recovery ahead of them,” according to MSP Niles Post Lieutenant Ryan Schoonveld, while Ntabaazi has been declared blind due to the incident.