By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor
HAMLIN TOWNSHIP — A 77-year-old Hamlin Township man, who had a felony case recently dismissed in Mason County’s 79th District Court following a mental competency evaluation, was arrested on new charges days later.

Dewey
Gary Lynn Dewey of 3239 N. Jebavy Dr. was arrested by Mason County sheriff’s deputies Thursday, Aug. 20, after he reportedly “aggressively” beat on doors in his neighborhood and stole a neighbor’s cat.
Dewey previously faced eight criminal charges following a standoff with police that involved him firing a handgun at them in late May.
Dewey’s most recent episode occurred Thursday, Aug. 20, around 8 p.m. in the 3200 block of North Jebavy Drive.
Mason County sheriff’s deputies were called to the scene “related to a male subject reportedly ‘aggressively’ beating on doors in the neighborhood,” said Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole.
“While on scene, a resident approached a deputy advising the person in question had stolen their pet cat,” said Sheriff Cole. “The cat’s owner found the cat in the suspect’s home and retrieved their pet.
“The suspect in this case, 77-year-old Gary Dewey, had previously been arrested for firing a handgun towards Mason County Sheriff’s Office deputies weeks earlier, had been ordered released from the Mason County Jail and turned over to family for further care. It was further reported that the suspect may have been in possession of a firearm.
“Deputies located the suspect parked in a business parking lot in the 4500 block of West US 10,” said Cole. “A traffic stop was made on the suspect vehicle. Due to concerns of him possibly being armed, a felony stop was made. The suspect refused commands and fought with deputies during the arrest.”
Dewey is charged with larceny, driving while license suspended and assaulting/resisting/obstructing police.
He remains lodged in the Mason County Jail on $50,000/cash/surety bond, according to court records. A probable cause hearing is set for Sept. 2 at 1 p.m.
In Dewey’s previous case, deputies were investigating a disturbance complaint that began, May 29, at Scotty’s Restaurant on US 10 in Pere Marquette Township after staff reported Dewey had been asked to leave because of aggressive and irrational behavior toward guests.
Deputies then responded to Dewey’s residence to follow up on the complaint. As deputies exited their patrol vehicles, he reportedly came out of his home and began yelling and cursing at them before returning inside.
According to the sheriff’s office, Dewey exited the home a second time carrying a handgun and fired several rounds in the direction of deputies. No deputies were struck, and deputies did not return fire.
The Mason/Oceana Emergency Response Team and negotiators were called to the scene. Throughout the night, Dewey reportedly exited the residence multiple times and continued yelling at deputies. He was eventually taken into custody.
Charges in that case were dismissed following a mental competency evaluation, Aug. 14, court records show.
______________________________________
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. That’s a two month savings!
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.
