By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief

FREE SOIL TOWNSHIP — Thirteen years ago Wednesday, on Sept. 9, 2013, Michigan State Police Trooper Paul K. Butterfield II, 43, was killed in the line of duty after he was shot during a routine traffic stop on Custer Road north of Townline Road.

Butterfield, a Grant Township resident assigned to the Michigan State Police Hart post, stopped a vehicle at about 6:20 p.m. A passing motorist called 911 just minutes later after finding Butterfield wounded along the road.

Butterfield was transported by ambulance and then airlifted to Munson Medical Center in Traverse City, where he died from his injuries.

The driver who shot Butterfield was later apprehended in Manistee County.

Butterfield joined the Michigan State Police in 1999 and was a graduate of the 118th Trooper Recruit School. He served at the Manistee and Hart posts and was also a U.S. Army veteran.

Each Sept. 9, a ceremony is held at the roadside memorial marking the location where Butterfield was killed. The ceremony is organized by Fountain Area Fire Department firefighter Shirley Chancellor, who was among the first emergency responders to arrive at the scene that evening.

The annual ceremony serves as a reminder of Butterfield’s service and sacrifice and of a night that remains deeply remembered by members of Mason County’s law enforcement and emergency services community.

In the accompanying video, Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole recalls the night Trooper Butterfield was killed. The video was recorded in 2025 but remains relevant.

______________________

Please Support Local News Coverage

For generations, local newspapers were supported by subscriptions. Today, while Mason County Press and Oceana County Press remain free to everyone, the cost of producing quality local journalism continues to rise.

If you value independent local news coverage, we invite you to help sustain it by subscribing to the MCP/OCP Daily Briefing for $12 a month — about 40 cents a day — or $120 a year.

Your subscription helps support the reporters, photographers and editors who cover local government, schools, community events, sports, breaking news and the stories that matter most to Mason and Oceana counties. In return, you’ll receive the MCP/OCP Daily Briefing each morning with the day’s headlines, along with occasional breaking news and special email editions.

Monthly subscriptions are available for $12 per month.
Click here to subscribe monthly.

Annual subscriptions are available for $120 per year.
Click here to subscribe annually.

If you prefer to pay by check, mail your $120 annual payment to:

Media Group 31, LLC
P.O. Box 21
Scottville, MI 49454

Please include your name, mailing address, email address and telephone number so we can activate your subscription.

Subscription payments must be received before service is activated.

Whether you choose to subscribe or continue enjoying our free content, thank you for reading Mason County Press and Oceana County Press. Your readership—and your support—helps ensure that independent local journalism remains available to everyone in our communities.

This story and original photography are copyrighted © 2026 by Media Group 31, LLC, P.O. Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454. All rights reserved. No portion of this story or its images may be reproduced in any form, including print, broadcast or electronic media, without the express written permission of Media Group 31, LLC.

As a news organization, Media Group 31 maintains published content as part of the public and historical record. Accordingly, stories are not removed after publication. At the editor’s discretion, stories may be updated or corrected as new information becomes available. Updates may be made by revising the original story or by publishing a follow-up story. Media Group 31, LLC reserves the right to modify this policy at any time. Please refer to our Use Policy for additional information.