Leelanau County Sheriff's Office

10/07/2026

DOMESTIC RELATED SHOOTING

At 2:25 pm on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, Leelanau County Sheriff’s Office units were dispatched to North Purkiss Rd., in Leelanau Township for multiple 911 calls that someone had been shot. Deputies arriving on scene, quickly determined that a shooting did in fact take place and involved a father and son. A verbal argument between the parties turned physical and a fi***rm was eventually brought into the situation. The father, a 77-year-old from Northport, was subsequently arrested and lodged at the Leelanau County jail on felony charges. The victim, a 48-year-old male, also from Northport was transported to Munson Medical Center with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. During the course of the investigation a fi***rm was recovered. A report from the incident has been forwarded to the Leelanau County Prosecutor for review. The incident was isolated and there is no on-going threat or danger to the public.

09/23/2026

GLEN ARBOR FALSE ALARM

On September 23, 2026 at approximately 2:41 pm, Leelanau County Dispatch received a single phone call reporting a parking lot dispute at a commercial business in Glen Arbor that had escalated into a shooting in which an 8-year-old female was reportedly shot in the neck. Fire and Rescue from Glen Lake Fire along with numerous Law Enforcement units from the Leelanau County Sheriff’s Office, National Park Service, and the Michigan State Police responded to the immediate and surrounding areas of the reported incident. As a result of the call, 2 schools in the immediate area were contacted and temporarily placed into “secure” mode. Law Enforcement units arrived on scene and immediately accessed the area for victims, witnesses and/or suspects with no unusual activity being located. It was determined in a very short time that that original call was a “swatting” or hoax type of call. No other known incidents of any kind were reported during this entire time within the county.

There is no on-going immediate danger or threat to the public at this time. The Leelanau County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank our Law Enforcement partners for their immediate assistance in responding to this incident.

We would also like to remind our citizens that Swatting is defined as a prank call made to emergency services in an attempt to dispatch law enforcement to a particular location.

The crime of “Swatting” is not harmless. It is a serious crime that can lead to dangerous situations and divert law enforcement away from someone facing an actual emergency.

Potential charges one could face if they make a threat of violence include:
• Communicating a threat of terrorism, a 20-year felony;
• Calling in a bomb threat, a 4-year felony; and
• Malicious use of a telecommunications device, a 6-month misdemeanor.

Swatting could result in the following charges:
• False report of a crime, a 93-day misdemeanor;
• False report resulting in physical injury, a 5-year felony;
• False report resulting in a serious bodily impairment, a 10-year felony; and/or
• False report resulting in a death, a 15-year felony.

In addition to serving time in jail or prison, those who are found guilty of these crimes can face fines of up to $20,000.00. Residents who receive or know of a threat of violence against their community should contact their local law enforcement.

09/23/2026

MISSING KAYAKER

UPDATE: 9-23-26 @ 1:30pm

A little after 11:00am, the missing male victim from the overturned kayak was located by Emergency Services personnel. The male victim has been positively identified as James Arthur Bottorff III, 26, a current resident of Wilmington, North Carolina, who is originally from the Leelanau County area.

The Sheriff's Office extends it's condolences to the family of Mr. Bottorff and would also like to thank all of the many agencies that assisted in this incident.

MISSING KAYAKER

On September 22, 2026 at approximately 5pm Leelanau County 911 received a call for an overturned kayak, on West Grand Traverse Bay near Sunrise Beach in Peshawbestown. Which is located in northern Suttons Bay Township, Leelanau County. Emergency Services were dispatched and arrived on scene within 3 minutes. Witnesses stated that a male victim was last seen about 200 yards offshore. Extensive search operations lasted until approximately 8:45pm when water conditions and visibility became unsafe for emergency responders to continue. Search efforts have resumed today, Wednesday September 23, 2026. The following Agencies have been involved in the response:

• Leelanau County Office of Emergency Management / 911
• Grand Traverse Band Police
• Grand Traverse Band Fire Rescue
• Suttons Bay Fire Rescue
• Leelanau Township Fire Rescue
• Leland Township Fire and Rescue
• Leelanau County Sheriff’s Office
• Northern Michigan Mutual Aid Dive Team
• Multiple assets from the United States Coast Guard
• Grand Traverse Band Emergency Management

This incident remains under investigation and active with no additional information currently available.

09/08/2026

PRESS RELEASE

UPDATE: A little after 2:00pm on 9-8-26, the body of the missing boater waslocated and recovered. The investigation into the incident continues and the Sheriff's Office once again thanks our partners with the Northern Michigan Mutual Aide Task Force Dive Team and other agencies that assisted in the investigation.


Search Underway for Missing Boater Near Stoney Point
On Monday, September 7, 2026, at approximately 8:39 a.m., Leelanau County Dispatch received a report of a dinghy observed spinning unattended in the water just off Stoney Point in Suttons Bay Township.
Emergency personnel were notified and began responding to the area, with the first units arriving at approximately 8:51 a.m. Suttons Bay Fire and Rescue and the Leelanau County Sheriff’s Office Marine Division were among the first agencies to arrive on scene.
The owner of the dinghy was located, and it was determined that Brett Zimmerman, 25, of Lansing, Kansas, was the last known person to have been aboard the vessel. Video surveillance from marina cameras was reviewed and helped verify that Zimmerman was the individual believed to have been operating the dinghy.
Shortly after the arrival of the initial responding crews, the United States Coast Guard was requested to assist with the search. As the search continued, the Mutual Aid Dive Team was also requested to provide additional manpower and specialized equipment, including side-scan sonar and drones.
Search efforts focused on the waters surrounding Stoney Point and continued throughout the day before being suspended at approximately 9:00 p.m. Members of the Leelanau County Sheriff’s Office also searched the shoreline and contacted area homeowners to notify them of the incident and request their assistance in reporting any information that may be relevant to the search.
The search for Brett Zimmerman remains ongoing as of the release of this information.
The Leelanau County Sheriff’s Office would like to recognize and thank the agencies and personnel who have assisted with the search, including Suttons Bay Fire and Rescue, the United States Coast Guard, Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office, Benzie County Sheriff’s Office, Grand Traverse Band Police Department, Antrim County Sheriff’s Office, and Leelanau County Dispatch. The cooperation and assistance provided by these agencies has been invaluable in the ongoing effort to locate Zimmerman.
Anyone who may have information regarding Zimmerman’s whereabouts or who may have observed anything unusual in or around the waters near Stoney Point is asked to contact the Leelanau County Sheriff’s Office or Leelanau County Dispatch, (231) 256-8800.

08/26/2026

🚍 SCHOOL IS STARTING SOON! 🚸

With students returning to school, yellow school buses will soon be back on our roadways. Please remain alert and use caution when approaching a school bus with flashing yellow lights, they are preparing to stop, and the lights will soon turn red.

Remember, when the red lights are flashing, traffic is required to stop. School bus violations can result in significant fines, points on your driving record, and increased insurance costs.

Slow down, stay alert, and help keep our children safe!

History: 1949, Act 300, Eff. Sept. 23, 1949 ;-- Am. 1956, Act 48, Eff. Aug. 11, 1956 ;-- Am. 1957, Act 284, Eff. Sept. 27, 1957 ;-- Am. 1958, Act 160, Eff. Sept. 13, 1958 ;-- Am. 1962, Act 92, Eff. Mar. 28, 1963 ;-- Am. 1963, Act 149, Eff. Sept. 6, 1963 ;-- Am. 1969, Act 240, Eff. Mar. 20, 1970 ;--....

08/20/2026

FOUND DOGS

UPDATE - The Dogs and the owner has be reunited.

Two female Great Pyrenees,-type dogs found roaming together on S. Townline Rd, Cedar, MI near E. April Rd. The black dog has some white markings on her chest and feet, and no collar. The white is mostly white, possibly some brown. She apparently rolled in something and is very dirty. She does have a collar but no tags. If you know these dogs or know someone who may know these dogs, please contact the Leelanau County Sheriff's Office at 231-256-8800.

08/17/2026

UPDATE
Owner located and the dog has been returned.

FOUND DOG
If you are the owner or know the owner of this white, female mixed breed, please contact Leelanau Dispatch at 231-256-8800. The dog was in the Veronica Valley area, South Lake Leelanau Drive and Maple Valey Rd.

07/31/2026

FOUND DOG

On Friday, July 31st, 2026, the Leelanau County Sheriff's Office was dispatched to the area of South Shore Drive in the Village of Suttons Bay for a report of dog at large. Deputies located a brown and white mixed bred with what appears to be a bluish colored containment collar. There were no other identification tags or an ID chip. The dog, which was friendly and approachable, was collected and transported to the Sheriff's Office for safe keeping. Attempts to locate the owner in the immediate area where unsuccessful. If anyone has any information on the animal or is aware of who the owner is, you are asked to contact Leelanau County Dispatch at 231-256-8800.

07/31/2026

Annual Woolsey Pancake Fly-in Canceled

Due to weather concerns, the Annual Woolsey Pancake Fly-in has been canceled for tomorrow, August 1st.

07/22/2026

PSA REMINDER

Please remember that blocking a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier from delivering mail is a civil infraction under the Michigan Motor Vehicle Code.

If you are having work done at your home, please remind contractors and visitors to avoid parking in a manner that blocks a mail carrier's access to your mailbox. Keeping mailboxes accessible helps ensure timely mail delivery and prevents unnecessary violations.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping keep our neighborhoods safe and accessible.

257.674 Prohibited parking; exceptions; bus loading zone; violation as civil infraction.
(1) A vehicle must not be parked, except if necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the law or the directions of a police officer or traffic-control device, in any of the following places:
y. On a street or highway in such a way as to obstruct the delivery of mail to a rural mailbox by a carrier of the United States Postal Service.