On September 9, 1984, 37-year-old Michigan State Trooper Robert J. Mihalik was killed in the line of duty during a traffic stop in Shoreham, near Saint Joseph. Mihalik, on his 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. shift, stopped a brown Cadillac he had been following on I-94 after a drive-off at a local gas station. The driver, later identified as Frederick Burrell of Detroit, became argumentative and resisted, and during a struggle gained control of Mihalik’s service revolver and fired six shots. Three rounds struck the trooper — one in the chin and two in the chest. Mihalik managed to fire his backup revolver, wounding Burrell in the left hand, but died at a local hospital at 6:20 p.m.

Burrell was apprehended soon after, still wearing one handcuff, and was charged with first-degree murder and felony murder. Trooper Mihalik, an 11-year veteran of the Michigan State Police and a U.S. Army veteran, was survived by his wife and two sons.

Did anyone in the area know Trooper Mihalik or witness the traffic stop that afternoon and have additional details to share?