On the night of June 16, 2022, 22-year-old Joseph “Joey” Maverick Nagle was killed by an Allegan County Sheriff’s deputy during what started as a routine traffic stop.
The name of the officer, was, and remains, redacted. Former Prosecutor Myrene Koch and Sheriff Frank Baker claim the shooting was justified. But by now, we also know they are not at all reliable narrators.
Just like Myrene never engaged in ex parte communications with Judge Margaret Bakker, right? They lied before and they will surely lie again.
The official story is quick: there had been an altercation, force was used, and a young man lost his life. But the Michigan State Police investigative file tells a more complicated story; one marked by a single fatal shot, missing cameras, conflicting accounts, and evidence of a struggle.
The Fatal Shot
The autopsy is unequivocal: Joey died from a single penetrating gunshot wound to the chest.
- The bullet entered just right of center on his chest, passed through his heart and aorta, fractured a rib, and lodged in his spine.
- Blood filled his chest and abdominal cavities.
- The shot was fired from an intermediate distance: gunpowder stippling was present, but there was no soot or muzzle imprint.
- The trajectory was downward, suggesting either the officer was above Joey or Joey was already lowered (falling, crouched, or restrained) when the shot hit.
The death was classified medically as homicide, which simply means caused by another person’s actions.
Evidence of Struggle
The autopsy also documented abrasions and contusions across Joey’s body; forehead, lip, chest, arms, hands, and legs. These injuries are consistent with a physical altercation. Whether they came from restraint, a fall, or defensive movements is left unstated.
The deputy himself reported marks on his face, a bloody nose, and a broken radio earpiece after the encounter. That evidence suggests close physical contact before the fatal shot.
What Police Recovered
According to the Michigan State Police report:
- Items near the scene included Joey’s driver’s license, glasses, and a small flashlight.
- Inside Joey’s car, officers found a folding knife and three marijuana cigarettes.
- A cell phone was recovered from his dashboard.
None of these items were on his body at the time CPR was administered. First responders reported not seeing weapons near him. Zero reason to think Joey was a threat.
The Missing Cameras
Perhaps the most troubling detail:
- No body-worn cameras. No dash cameras. The Allegan County Sheriff’s Department simply didn’t have them in 2022.
- The only video that exists comes from a Sandy Pines Public Safety officer’s bodycam, which captured only CPR efforts; not the shooting itself.
In other words: the most critical minutes—the stop, the altercation, the shooting—are lost to history.
Conflicting Accounts
Neighbors reported hearing someone shouting “no” three times before a single gunshot rang out.
That testimony, combined with the downward bullet trajectory, raises questions about whether Joey was attempting to resist, plead, or surrender in those final moments.
Police framed Joseph’s behavior earlier that day, delivering packages for FedEx and allegedly making bizarre comments to store clerks, as evidence of instability. But none of that context changes the fact: a single deputy, alone with Joey on a rural road, fired a fatal shot with no objective recording of what truly happened.
What’s even weirder? The evidence came from “a Kent County Sheriff’s Department Dispatch Supervisor.” But there’s only one: Sean Holtrop. Why was he the one to start the narrative? Did he plant the narrative for the case before statements could even be made?
Couple this with the fact that there was a “BOLO” (Be On The Look Out) for a suspect whose license plate was very close to Joey’s.
Allegan’s History of Excessive Force
Allegan County Sheriff’s Department has a problem following the rules.
They arrest people without warrants. There’s real danger in driving while Brown or Black. Multiple people have been yanked from their vehicles and beaten. The way the scene was laid out, I don’t believe we’re getting anywhere close to the correct story from the police.
What’s Missing
- The timeline gap: the autopsy was conducted June 17 but not signed until July 25.
- The absence of video means the case relies entirely on physical evidence and conflicting human statements, leaving the entire narrative to the police. And we all know they are so good at telling the truth with their bacon is on the line.
Still, there is a weirder aspect of this to be addressed.
Why Was There Blood in Joey’s Car?
If the officer’s statement that the shooting occurred outside of the car is accurate, then why is there blood in Joey’s vehicle?
What Do I Think Happened?
Based on the evidence, I think the cop likely yanked Joey from his car, already on edge from the BOLO. A struggle ensued and Joey’s glasses fell on the ground. Based on where Joey’s glasses were, I think he tried to pick them up during the scuffle. And I think when Joey bent down to pick them up, the cop lost his cool, thinking Joey was reaching for a weapon.
This accounts for the bullet’s trajectory, the blood in the vehicle, the Deputy’s flashlight on the ground, and Joey’s glasses and license by the door.
NOT by the back of the car as the Deputy claimed.
According to sources, the police were also adamant about getting his mother to unlock his phone. Why would that at all be necessary? Especially when he was the one who was shot?
From there, I believe the rest of the story was entirely fabricated to cover their missteps.
It’s not coincidence that there are less officer-involved shootings and beatings now that Allegan County Sheriff’s Department is forced to wear body cams. But it doesn’t mean that they don’t try to wiggle out of it and slyly shut them off; because they do. Cops are allergic to accountability wherever you go, apparently.
Body cams are an important tool for accountability and transparency. Because if we don’t employ these measures, who’s watching the watchmen?
A Pattern of Shadows
Joey Nagle’s death is not just about one bullet; it’s about what happens when lethal force collides with missing oversight. It’s about how Sheriff Frank Baker already lets his employees get away with signifiant conduct on his watch. Exhibit A: Now Retired Chris Haverdink.
No matter what happened, a 22-year-old was murdered during a routine traffic stop; his body bearing both a single fatal shot and multiple signs of struggle. Without cameras, truth has to be reconstructed from fragments—an officer’s bruises, a broken radio, a young man’s last abrasions.
Screams in the night.
This is what systemic neglect looks like: when the only thing clear is that a life was taken, and everything else lives in the shadows.
Call to Action: Demand Accountability
Joseph Nagle’s story cannot end with silence. A 22-year-old’s life was cut short in circumstances clouded by missing footage, unanswered questions, and conflicting evidence. The autopsy ruled his death a homicide. The investigative file admits there were no body or dash cameras. Neighbors reported hearing him cry out before the fatal shot.
We cannot allow this case to fade into bureaucratic limbo.
That’s why we are calling on Michael Villar, a far more competent and credible professional, to reopen the case, re-examine the evidence, and demand accountability from Allegan County authorities. His oversight, expertise, and independence are urgently needed to cut through the shadows left by Myrene Koch and Sheriff Frank Baker’s incomplete and subpar investigation.
What You Can Do:
- Share Joey’s story so his name is not forgotten.
- Contact Allegan County officials and demand that this case be reopened under Villar’s review.
- Push for body camera mandates in every Michigan law enforcement agency, so that no other family is left in the dark.
Justice delayed is justice denied. Reopening Joey Nagle’s case is the first step toward the truth.
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