Parole absconder, police exchanged gunfire; search underway for suspect in Delta Township

DELTA TWP. — Police on Friday were searching for a suspect who exchanged gunfire with state corrections department agents who were following a vehicle he was riding in.

No injuries were reported, but a bullet apparently fired by the suspect struck the windshield of a Michigan Department of Corrections Absconder Recovery Unit van near a store on West Saginaw Highway shortly after 8 a.m., according to the Eaton County Sheriff's Office.

Michigan State Police and the state Department of Corrections identified the suspect as Marcus Gamba Oglesby, who is listed on on the MDOC website as a parole absconder as of March 20, 2024. Oglesby was still at large as of late Friday morning, they said.

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"The incident today involved MDOC Absconder Recovery Unit Agents and local law enforcement attempting to apprehend a parole absconder, who opened fire, striking one of our unmarked staff vehicles," MDOC Public Information Officer Kyle Kaminski said via email.

Kaminski said the van was not transporting any prisoners.

"This is a very serious situation, and we are glad that our staff was not injured, but there is high sensitivity to creating the impression that this was a prisoner transport vehicle, as there was recently a prisoner escape in Idaho that involved an attack on transportation staff to allow for the escape to occur in that state," he said.

In a late-morning news release, state police said the incident began about 7:55 a.m. as members of MDOC's Absconder Recovery Unit were following a Jeep Patriot in the 1700 block of Willow Highway in Lansing Township. As the vehicle entered Delta Township, Oglesby, who was a passenger in the vehicle, jumped out with a handgun and fired at MDOC van, officials said.

"The agents returned fire," the state police statement said. "Preliminary investigation indicates that neither the agents nor the suspect was struck by gunfire."

The suspect then got back into the vehicle, and the driver rolled away, officials said.

The agents followed the Jeep to the Westland Center Plaza at Waverly Road and West Saginaw Highway, where the suspect bailed out and ran to the east.

"At this time, neither the suspect nor the vehicle have been located," the statement said. "Canine units are in the area, along with additonal law enforement officers, searching for the suspect."

Oglesby, 31, is listed on the MDOC website as a parole absconder as of March 20. He was described as a Black male about 6 feet tall and 135 pounds. He was last seen wearing black clothing, officials said.

Anyone who spots him is advised not to approach him and call 911, they said.

According to the MDOC site, he has the name Jeanette tattooed on his left arm and Brittany tattooed on his right arm. He also has tattoos on his chest saying King World and a star, three tear drops on the left side of his face, and an undescribed tattoo on the right side of his face.

State police said Oglesby was wanted on numerous felony warrants, including aggravated assault.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Search underway for man who fired at MDOC officers Friday morning